PM TRAFFIC ALERT: Stalled vehicle on low bridge; Ambaum fire; other updates

5 PM: Thanks for the tip. The SDOT video camera on the “low bridge” confirms a stalled vehicle on the right side of the westbound lanes. Rainy commute, so bring your patience; if you’re headed eastbound out of West Seattle, for example, the high bridge looks as backed up as any AM commute.

5:10 PM: A second vehicle (unofficial apparently, no rollers) showed up/pulled over to help, and now both vehicles have moved along, so the low bridge is clear again.

5:25 PM: Given it’s so ugly out there, we’ll keep this atop the stream for a while. Another problem: 1st and Massachusetts, a blockage, blamed on “debris.” (Update: According to radio communication, a sign of some sort.)

6:20 PM: If you are heading to or from Burien, heads up – there’s an apartment fire just south of White Center, Ambaum and 122nd. Even some Seattle Fire units are now being sent to help out.

6:46 PM: Metro says the Ambaum fire is delaying Route 120. Meantime, the low bridge has closed so a vessel can get through.

7 PM: Low bridge has reopened to surface traffic.

Scott January 22, 2019 (5:33 pm)

Ugly?

WSB January 22, 2019 (5:36 pm)

Unless you like long backups, in which case it’s beautiful!
- Mike January 22, 2019 (6:55 pm)
  
  Everyday is beautiful on the commute 😂
  - Elon January 22, 2019 (7:23 pm)
    
    Yupp! I just put my car in autopilot, sip my smoothie and enjoy the light show.

run_dmc January 22, 2019 (5:51 pm)

Wow – can see the bridge from house and EB bridge it’s completely backed up. Unless you have to, I would not try to leave WSEA right now, and likely not for a while.

Coffeedude January 22, 2019 (6:08 pm)

SPD could make a fortune ticketing in the bus lane. On the bridge now and car after car is using the bus lane.

Sam January 22, 2019 (6:13 pm)

Waited at 4th-Lenora until 6:10 for 5:52 37 that never showed. Decided to cut my losses and head to 3rd-Virginia for (hopefully) a 56 in a few.

tiredofgovernmentgreed January 22, 2019 (6:15 pm)

All of the West Seattle metro buses are routed over the Spokane St. low bridge, correct? Then why hasn’t the city positioned a tow truck to move stalled vehicles? If the city is pushing everyone to mass transit during Viadoom they need to keep key transit lanes open.

WSB January 22, 2019 (6:22 pm)

No, they are not.

Sam January 22, 2019 (6:16 pm)

And at 6:15, just saw 37 cross 3rd. Argh.

John January 22, 2019 (7:12 pm)

Sam, the 4:24 #37 was about 25 mins late too… Traffic is terrible at 2nd and Lenora…can take a few light cycles for a bus to be able to turn on to 2nd. Also an Uber decided to park in the bus lane causing more issues.

TJ January 22, 2019 (6:17 pm)

I went to Sodo twice today, and 3:30 this afternoon (unplanned work emergency) was worse than 6:45 this morning. The backup wasn’t quite as long, but the crawl was terrible for some reason and ot took longer

David January 22, 2019 (11:30 pm)

Just a guess. But, it is likely that SDOT has the lights tuned to optimize northbound traffic for the AM commute, and optimize southbound traffic for the PM commute. Thus, for your northbound trip at 3:30 PM, you were swimming upstream of the optimum traffic flow.

NH January 22, 2019 (7:10 pm)

Took the 5:25 water taxi. The 5:40 775 shuttle to Admiral/Alki was so full it had to leave people at Seacrest to wait for the next one.

NH January 22, 2019 (7:20 pm)

The 5:40 775 to Admiral/Alki was so full it had to leave people at Seacrest to wait for the next one.

LM January 22, 2019 (7:50 pm)

My Ride2Go was almost 15 minutes late, picked me up, pulled a u-turn through the parking lot, returned to Seacrest Marina, picked up two more people, lost my address, and eventually came within a few blocks of my destination, close enough. Almost took the very full 775.

Anu H January 22, 2019 (9:27 pm)

I took the 6.05pm water taxi tonight. Booked my Ride2 at 6.18pm. Got an estimate that he would be there in 10 minutes. He never showed up. Then the app stopped working so I had no idea what was going on. Finally after about 45 minutes, I called them to cancel the trip. The lady who answered the phone was so nice and apologetic. It wasn’t her fault though! I took the last 773 to the junction and had my husband pick me up there. Just as I was getting on that bus, I saw my assigned Ride2 come into the parking lot. I had no interest in riding with him them. I don’t know why these Ride2 issues aren’t fixed yet. It’s such a great service when it works!

Lola January 23, 2019 (11:54 am)

I went over the low bridge to go hm to WS at 4:40 pm and saw the stalled car on the right, they were moved over as far as they could go and we were able to squeeze by since no cars were coming across going into town. This route gets me home faster than ever now.

Sorry, comment time is over.