TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: 3rd Friday AM watch post-Viaduct

(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)

5:57 AM: Good morning! Rainy, as forecast.

6:07 AM: Checking around, the weather is this morning’s only complication so far. No incidents or alerts.

6:33 AM: Still incident-free.

6:49 AM: If you noticed an SFD response at Admiral/Olga, that’s just cleared; it was described via radio communication as a trash fire in a bus shelter.

6:59 AM: That talk of possible snow showers Sunday into Monday is now the subject of an official weather advisory. … Monday morning, of course, as announced yesterday, will be the first commute with the new Highway 99 tunnel. But remember that for an additional week or so, taking NB 99 from here will require you to use the tunnel because the new exit ramp before it won’t be ready yet.

7:06 AM: Surface Spokane train alert – blocking at Colorado.

7:35 AM: If you head east of I-5, heads up about a big power outage, more than 12,000 homes/businesses in what City Light describes as “the Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, and Bryn Mawr-Skyway areas.” Lots of signal lights out so traffic is affected.

7:48 AM: Low bridge has opened for maritime traffic … Speaking of maritime, King County Executive Dow Constantine is visiting the West Seattle Water Taxi dock to thank the commuters who’ve triple its usage during the viaduct-to-tunnel transition weeks.

8 AM: The low bridge is back open to riders, pedestrians, and drivers.

8:13 AM: From the scanner, there’s a report of a school bus hitting a parked car at 35th/Raymond. No injuries reported, so far.

8:49 AM: Went looking for that scene, couldn’t find it. So no problems on 35th. If you’re headed for SB I-5, SFD is responding to a reported collision at Michigan, not far south of here.

9:50 AM: If you have to head east on the bridge but could wait a while … be forewarned, it’s at a crawl. And that description is being generous. Entering from Fauntleroy, the backup – more like standstill – starts at Nucor. We’re in the midst of it all hoping to make it to the 10:30 am media briefing on the north end of the tunnel but probably should have given ourselves an hour and a half to get there rather than just an hour.

10:08 AM: Took 20 minutes to get from Nucor to the 4th Avenue exit. Now we attempt to get across downtown!

LyndaB February 1, 2019 (6:42 am)

FYI, bus lane enforcement patrol car is out this morning. You can’t see the lights flashing until you get up close. Happy commuting!

Lacey February 1, 2019 (8:14 am)

Has the bridge opened? Traffic is stacking up Delridge!

WSB February 1, 2019 (8:21 am)

It was open as noted above until 8 am. I watched via the live video camera and that is indeed when it reopened to surface traffic. Current view looks busy, but moving. Will check around the surface cams to the east to see if something else is happening.

Steven Fredrickson February 1, 2019 (8:32 am)

Just caught the 56 at Admiral & Olga and couldn’t help but notice the small pile of burnt and charred sticks and a 2×4 next to the trash can. Someone sure got a wild hair idea!!

choc February 1, 2019 (8:47 am)

Traffic looks pretty heavy for a friday. Is Delridge still stacking up? How about Fauntleroy going on to the bridge?

sw February 1, 2019 (8:52 am)

If the Water Taxi was such a success, has anyone asked Dow about keeping the increased frequency, shuttles, park-and-ride lot, etc? It appears people are willing to use alternate methods of transit provided they exist. If all this goes away after March, then people won’t even have the choice and revert back to their old ways.

Mj February 1, 2019 (9:33 am)

So fortunate that the weather was most cooperative the last couple of weeks. Today’s rain shows what was avoided for the most part during the closure.

Wsea February 1, 2019 (10:01 am)

Its 10am and it’s taken me 1 hour to SoDo. Add to it another stopped train. Hopefully I can make it to work before the day ends. Ha.

Jonathan Parrott February 1, 2019 (10:45 am)

Hit Delridge at 8:20 at merge to the high bridge. I work on Harbor Island, and it took another 20 minutes to get from there to the East end of the lower bridge. Trucks stacked half way down Harbor Island trying to get off the island. Can’t wait to see what happens when we start getting traffic out of Terminal 5.

Trickycoolj February 1, 2019 (10:58 am)

Lots of box blocking trucks at the 1st ave bridge and 599/Holden area again today in the later 9am hour when the bridge went up. Right turn lane for the bridge was backed up under the bridge to 2nd. People were going straight from the left turn lane to get around said box blocking truck blocking all 3 south bound lanes. Commercial Vehicle enforcement really needs to camp out daily for a while.

Dave Feinberg February 1, 2019 (12:09 pm)

Noon … Eastbound still backed up starting at Nucor. Inside lane blocked just as you start up the high bridge as I came back to West Seattle about 15 minutes ago. Southbound 1st Avenue South down to one lane as concrete truck blocking inside lane at Lander Street.

WSB February 1, 2019 (12:11 pm)

We just got back going the other way and noticed same thing, backup still started at Nucor, police with a stalled vehicle a bit east of that.

Bus rider February 1, 2019 (5:47 pm)

Buses bound for WS are running 10 to 20 minutes late in downtown Seattle. Two Route 56 buses are over 25 minutes late. Long evening commute.

Commuter February 1, 2019 (6:11 pm)

Three 56 buses were no shows! Finally got on a 37 but that was 35 min late. So much for real time updates from Metro or deployed (or rerouting) buses when needed. A rainy day should not create chaos.
- WSB February 1, 2019 (6:24 pm)
  
  There seems to be some trouble out there on a variety of fronts. Despite the semi-late stage of the commute I was just about to post something since also, light rail is interrupted, and traffic overall is described as heavy.
  - WSB February 1, 2019 (6:29 pm)
    
    Well, never mind that, light rail is back in action and the low bridge has reopened. Sorry to hear about the unannounced bus trouble, though.
Gina February 1, 2019 (7:16 pm)

I worked late and got to the bus stop around 6 and just missed a C line. Another one didn’t show up for 40 minutes, so I gave up and hopped on a 55. I live in Morgan Junction and am just going to walk home from the Alaska Junction. This commute is taking 2 hours to get home, but at least Viscon Cellars is on the way back!!!!

Commuter February 1, 2019 (6:06 pm)

Horrific commute home! 3 56 buses never showed, in addition to the 5:25 bus 30 mins late. So much for the city’s plan to deploy more buses when needed or send text updates.

Super Deli Fan February 1, 2019 (6:28 pm)

I’m on a C line thats been stopped by a low bridge opening for the last ten minutes. 3rd ave was a zoo about 39 minutes ago.

JCW February 1, 2019 (6:51 pm)

Definitely something happening in LQA that isn’t showing on 911 or Reddit. I’m waiting on the 3 or 4 SB, and there are 6 of them “arriving now” 2 blocks north of me. One Bus Away is showing delays of 30~50 min on SB routes

ginakette@gmail.com February 1, 2019 (7:11 pm)

Worked late and got to the bus stop around 6:00. C line was delayed 50 minutes. I live near Morgan Junction , gave up on the C and took a 55 and am walking from the Alaska Junction . Any reason for these delays? Commute is an hour and a half to get home!!!!

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