56 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT: Thursday watch, fourth week of West Seattle Bridge closure"

• JDLR April 16, 2020 (5:47 am)

  Currently sitting on the Rt. C (5am Westbound, #6117), and there’s too many people on board to distance. Metro needs to roll back the reduced schedule for West Seattle busses due to the bridge, or things are going to get worse… 

• West Seattle Guy April 16, 2020 (8:04 am)

  Video on the construction of the bridge from the 80s.  https://youtu.be/ycGLroMK2QQ

• BobbyJ April 16, 2020 (8:16 am)

  1. Can somebody please talk to SDOT as Seattle is not mitigating the congestion and traffic light timing from West Seattle > highlight park > 1st Ave Bridge > Michigan St.  
  2. There is the issue of the bridge being raised (yesterday at around 1pm) and totally jacked up all the traffic and nothing is in place to keep people moving. 
  3. Let’s face it, most people are trying to get to I5, or head north into downtown Seattle.  Additional road closures and force people through central merge points onto these now new paths.  SDOT just stuck up detour signs and called it good without doing more to move traffic through these bottleneck points.   They should block access roads to these main points and detour surrounding roads to a more unified path. 
  4. No bridge openings during peak hours.  Make the stupid boats wait so all of West Seattle and SODO doesn’t have to wait for the boat. 

  • KBear April 16, 2020 (9:17 am)

    SDOT has zero control over bridge openings. Federal law gives maritime traffic the right of way. 

  • Eric1 April 16, 2020 (10:14 am)

    You do realize that boats and trains have right of way?  Boats and trains can have a negative effect on traffic but you are actually inconveniencing them by occupying their right of way. The city can ask them to be nice but they don’t have to be.  Also. I am not sure why people are so surprised at being hosed by a bridge failure.  When you buy a home, you have to look at the good and BAD things.  If you didn’t know that WS is essentially an island with a few bridges to get off, you didn’t do your due diligence.   I was guessing that a large earthquake was going to hose over WS in the future.  Little did I know that potentially the Nisqually quake already has. Also, the jokes about the captain hitting and destroying the old drawbridge are real and this isn’t the first time WS  has been inconvenienced by a sudden bridge failure. You are not going to die from your longer commute. I am sure that SDOT did some minor signal tweaking on the routes (major one at Highland Park) but they wouldn’t waste too much  time right now because when everyone goes back to work, they will have to fix it again.  Getting out of WS might suck now but just wait a few months, it will be worse.   If you are really worried, NOW is the time to move to a more convenient location because the city is telling you that it is going to be at least two years before things get better.

    • Cbj April 16, 2020 (1:17 pm)

      For those of us who own our home moving might not be an option with the devalue of our property if I rented I would give notice. Imagine development will stop for awhilethis should be a huge wake up call that increasing density the way it’s been managed has implications to infrastructure sewer and electrical grid next?

    • drM April 16, 2020 (1:59 pm)

      If you didn’t know that WS is essentially an island with a few bridges to get off, you didn’t do your due diligence.

      This is a ridiculous argument. By this logic you should blame every citizen of San Francisco for living there, maybe blame people for living on Bainbridge Island if the Agate Bridge were to fall down.In society, most would agree, you accept an unwritten compact with your neighbors to abide by the rules, and to accept certain privileges in return for being a good citizen, one of which is the right to move around as free citizens, to expect education etc etc. This bridge was guaranteed for a certain amount of time. That failed. Instead of pointing fingers, most good citizens will come up with a plan to mitigate the situation, and then move on. So, please, keep your finger wagging for elsewhere.

      • Eric1 April 16, 2020 (10:23 pm)

        DRM. There is a bit of finger wagging but it is because some people in West Seattle think that everything revolves around us.  We cannot, as some have advocated, stop ship traffic on the Duwamish waterway because the high bridge is broken.  We cannot complain that “Seattle is not mitigating the congestion and traffic light timing from West Seattle” as if South Park, Georgetown and Burien are somehow less important.  And “They should block access roads to these main points and detour surrounding roads to a more unified path”. The question is: A more unified path from which favored part of West Seattle are we talking about? Obviously not Delridge and Highland Park neighborhoods.  You are correct that we should all abide by the rules and be good citizens  for all neighborhoods.  White Center, Burien, South Park, Georgetown and the businesses on the Duwamish waterway will all suffer with us and  I feel that, some people are not recognizing that we are imposing on their neighborhoods.  And yes I believe that if you live in SFO or Seattle, you better know about the consequences of  major earthquakes (I wouldn’t blame you for living in SFO just like I live in West Seattle; for me and apparently many others, the risk of an earthquake is outweighed by the benefits of a progressive city with higher wages).  Everyone who lives on Bainbridge knows they are at the mercy of the Washington State Ferry system more so than the odds of the Agate Pass bridge falling down.  But I don’t blame people for living there either: The education system is top notch and some people like the demographics despite the access drawbacks.  And I don’t think the bridge came with a guarantee,  or at least one that didn’t expire upon cutting of the ribbon :)

  • Chris April 16, 2020 (10:31 am)

    And what if the bridge is open when an ambulance is trying to get through for emergency service?

  • Also John April 16, 2020 (10:35 am)

    IMO if a person is able-bodied and they need to regularly go to downtown Seattle an electric bike like the Radwagon is the way to go.    No I don’t work for them.

• Lola April 16, 2020 (9:54 am)

  First Ave So. Bridge is controlled by WSDOT as my son works for them.  They have to let the boats through, it is all Tide Dependant and they have to radio ahead to let them know they are coming.  I think if you look at the WSDOT page for the 1st Ave So bridge they do have some times that they will not open it. 

  • WSB April 16, 2020 (10:17 am)

    Even in those windows, there are exceptions. I am researching the two alternate bridges and happened onto the page late last night.
    https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bridge/our-bridges/movable/first-avenue-south-bridge-common

• Alvis April 16, 2020 (9:57 am)

  I’m unable to make sense of the service/route reduction info on Metro’s website, but it appears to me that every Admiral Junction bus connection has been eliminated. Any suggestions on how an Admiral bus rider can get to the C-Route stop in the Junction? I need to get downtown and transfer to the #3 or 4 bus so I can pick up specific prescription refills from Harborview pharmacy on First Hill. Please, no lectures from able-bodied people who think I should just stay home or walk or bike like they do.

  • tsurly April 16, 2020 (10:33 am)

    The 128 can get you from Admiral to Alaska Junction where you can pickup the C. 

  • LK April 16, 2020 (10:39 am)

    Alvis, have you considered that the pharmacy might be able to deliver or mail them to you? If you haven’t already, I would call and see if that’s possible. It’s going to be horrible to get there. I was able to transfer my prescriptions from Bartells and have them mailed to my home by calling my healthcare insurance (the number on the back of my card). Might want to try that, too. They even discounted the cost. Take care and good luck! 

  • newnative April 16, 2020 (11:09 am)

    I live in Admiral and both the 50 and the 128 go to the Junction regularly. I don’t believe the 56/57 have been entirely cancelled but greatly reduced and run during commuter hours (eastbound in the am and westbound in the pm). However, I would ask if they can deliver them in the mail. My partner has recently switched to mail for the same reason. 

  • AMD April 16, 2020 (11:27 am)

    You might also consider taking the 128 to White Center (15th & Roxbury) and transferring to the 60 to get to Harborview/First Hill.  Both buses are running nearly their regular schedule so they’re quite reliable (60 runs every 15 minutes).  It’s also 2 buses this way instead of 3.  It may take a hair longer, but I’d imagine that would be mitigated by the extra bus transfer if you take the C then the 3/4.  The #60 route goes from WWV, though White Center, across to South Park, then Georgetown, then Beacon Hill, through the International District, then around First Hill hitting every hospital before continuing up Broadway.  It sounds long, but from White Center it took me *maybe* 30 minutes to get to First hill this morning.  Bus was pretty empty the whole way too.

• Aerial Observer April 16, 2020 (10:29 am)

  Alvis — Route 50 connects Admiral to Alaska, and operates on a reduced schedule. Most trips are still per schedule, but the following trips on the schedule do not operate this week:

  • Route 50 Eastbound:

  • 5:40 AM from Alki Ave SW & 61st Ave SW
  • 7:30 AM from Alki Ave SW & 61st Ave SW
  • 8:30 AM from Alki Ave SW & 61st Ave SW
  • 9:30 AM from Alki Ave SW & 61st Ave SW
  • 2:00 PM from Alki Ave SW & 61st Ave SW
  • 5:20 PM from Alki Ave SW & 61st Ave SW

  • Route 50 Westbound:

  • 6:08 AM from MLK Jr Way S & S Myrtle St
  • 7:08 AM from MLK Jr Way S & S Myrtle St
  • 8:06 AM from MLK Jr Way S & S Myrtle St
  • 9:06 AM from MLK Jr Way S & S Myrtle St
  • 3:36 PM from MLK Jr Way S & S Myrtle St
  • This changes every week, so check the “Canceled Trips” page for details:
  • https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/schedules-maps/reduced-schedule/canceled-trips.aspx
  • I hope this helps. Good luck on getting your medications!

• Rocky Bullwinkle April 16, 2020 (10:36 am)

  Add a temporary second lower bridge, then make one east bound and the other west bound.

  • WSJ April 16, 2020 (10:56 am)

    This is my favorite suggestion, because it’s so utterly ridiculous. An entire temporary bridge, that can open and close, with all the necessary streets leading to/from it, connecting to existing roads. Yeah, why don’t we “just” do that? 

    • Patrick angry now April 16, 2020 (2:16 pm)

      WSJ. Here is a small history lesson: We had “temporary” bridges crossing the Duwamish beginning in 1902. The first was a swinging (turntable) bridge that allowed maritime traffic through. As we worked to straighten out the Duwamish, there were at one point 3 “temporary bridges that gave us far more access than we have now. The second wooden swing bridge, also termed temporary , was built in 1911. This bridge also delivered fresh water to parts of West Seattle and had to be uncoupled every time the bridge needed to open. Another temporary bridge was built later in 1911 called the Oxbow bridge. That bridge was moved in 1916 and re-used when the Duwamish got a little straighter. Avalon Way was opened in 1913 giving new parts of West Seattle much needed access to the bridges crossing the Duwamish.  In 1917 West Seattle wanted a “permanent” bridge, but Seattle (proper) decided to give us yet another “temporary bridge”. By 1918, we essentially had light rail going across our “temporary” bridges. In 1924, we finally got a permanent bascule bridge.  We have not been so cut off from mainland Seattle in over 100 years. Our population has grown just a little since then. Don’t be a jerk.

      • Rocky Bullwinkle April 16, 2020 (3:20 pm)

        Ba-blam! Thanks for dropping knowledge on the hater. Every option is viable given the current SNAFU. Peace out.

        • Patrick angry now April 16, 2020 (4:07 pm)

          No Problemo Rocky Bullwinkle! We’re all in this together. I want to see options too. I’m all ready tired of the smug spandex heroes and others who think everyone’s situation is just like their own. Now is not the time to be bashing on others. 

      • WSJ April 16, 2020 (4:19 pm)

        None of which matters at all because the coast guard doesn’t allow the duwamish to be blocked. But by all means, tell me how solutions from 1910 are relevant today, grandpa.

        • patrick April 20, 2020 (3:58 pm)

          Wow! Creative name calling. Not a grandpa, but hope to be one someday.  I know you will probably never read this but here it is. The Army Corps of Engineers manages all navigable waterways and infrastructure projects on navigable waterways, dams and locks. It is also known as Navigable Servitude and is part of constitutional law inherited from older maritime law. Coast Guard defends our coast and coastal boarders.      All the temporary bridges mentioned above allowed all vessels to pass, They were all swing, draw, or bascule. I realize I should have mentioned how each bridge operated and met the CFR laws established at the time. As for how technology from 1910 may apply now? Well, if we could build swing bridges in less than a year that were considered temporary then, we could do that now. We have much better materials, equipment and engineering available to us now. All our maritime contractors are right there; Manson, General/Kewit, Global……Why would we not be able to do it today if we could do it over 100 years ago. I also say this as an ex Navy CB and a current engineer. We have built some pretty incredible temporary infrastructure projects with limited resources in hostile environments. Should be pretty easy with community support. The only reason I even replied to you was because you are acting like a West Seattle Jerk when someone came in with an idea that you outright insulted and Poo-Poo’d when It was obvious that you have very little knowledge about our historical infrastructure connecting West Seattle to Seattle proper.  You appear to think it’s your job to put people down. Thinking that a floating or temporary bridge can not open to maritime traffic shows your lack of knowledge and is just lazy thinking. I’m not saying it’s the solution, but putting peoples ideas down to make yourself feel big is not helping. 

  • Bob Lang April 16, 2020 (11:13 am)

    Make about 5.   Military constructs floating bridges all the time.  

    • Jort April 16, 2020 (11:18 am)

      Everybody keeps saying this. The bridge would STILL need to open for maritime traffic. “Temporary” “military” bridges are not going to accommodate this. And this is not going to change! There is no magic solution for people’s cars. Everybody literally will be forced to change.

      • Patrick angry now April 16, 2020 (2:22 pm)

        Jort, I know you want everyone on bikes. Get over your spandex hero ways and realize, it’s just not feasible for: parents, people who have to commute to “not downtown”, disabled, etc…  Here is a small history lesson: We had “temporary” bridges crossing the Duwamish beginning in 1902. The first was a swinging (turntable) bridge that allowed maritime traffic through. As we worked to straighten out the Duwamish, there were at one point 3 “temporary bridges that gave us far more access than we have now. The second wooden swing bridge, also termed temporary , was built in 1911. This bridge also delivered fresh water to parts of West Seattle and had to be uncoupled every time the bridge needed to open. Another temporary bridge was built later in 1911 called the Oxbow bridge. That bridge was moved in 1916 and re-used when the Duwamish got a little straighter. Avalon Way was opened in 1913 giving new parts of West Seattle much needed access to the bridges crossing the Duwamish.  In 1917 West Seattle wanted a “permanent” bridge, but Seattle (proper) decided to give us yet another “temporary bridge”. By 1918, we essentially had light rail going across our “temporary” bridges. In 1924, we finally got a permanent bascule bridge.  Not everyone car ride a bike, or even take mass transit. We are all trying to figure this out, but being smug doesn’t help anyone. 

        • WSJ April 16, 2020 (4:22 pm)

          It’s not being smug, it’s being rational. The river can’t completely be blocked to host traffic no matter how much you think it’s still it’s the 1920s. 

  • bolo April 16, 2020 (11:20 am)

    Good creative thinking there, but what would it connect to?

• SDOTateMYBridge April 16, 2020 (10:59 am)

  I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about this awful situation with the bridge. If the tunnel project is like One Center City Initiative, The 99 tunnel, the Streetcar or any other SDOT project, we could potentially be looking at 2023 or longer before it’s open since so many of their projects are late. I know a lot of folks are glad to hear that many people will have to leave West Seattle to manage this change but the impact to the community, especially small businesses could be devastating, especially with the added stress of the COVID crisis. Please write to Mayor Durken, Sam Zimbabwe and the City Council and let them know how important it is to prioritize this project and ensure that it doesn’t turn into another infamous Seattle project. Stay safe, peeps. 

  • WSJ April 16, 2020 (11:21 am)

    Your complaints would be more compelling if you knew who actually managed the 99 tunnel project. 

• Mj April 16, 2020 (11:16 am)

  I’m curious as to the most commented item ever in the WSB?  The closure of the West Seattle Bridge?This closure is a significant adverse impact to WS residents!

  • WSB April 16, 2020 (11:29 am)

    Just broke the record, which was 604 for a 2013 power outage. Even if not for the comment volume, it’s certainly the biggest story in our 13 years of covering West Seattle news 24/7.

• Franci April 16, 2020 (12:44 pm)

  I’m anticipating the day when the low-bridge is closed too.  I seem to recall a laundry list of maintenance that needs to be done to it.  Is all that maintenance able to be done while it is open to traffic?  How long can/should that maintenance be deferred?

  If/when they need to dismantle the high bridge – will it be safe to have traffic flowing across the low-bridge at the same time?

  • WSB April 16, 2020 (2:11 pm)

    Yes, and that’s what the $5 million mentioned in the prelim-budget slide in Wed’s story
    https://westseattleblog.com/2020/04/happening-now-west-seattle-bridge-may-not-be-fixable-says-sdot-even-if-it-is-closure-will-last-at-least-until-2022/
    refers to. Some of it is supposedly happening this weekend, with word of traffic impacts; I am stlll waiting for confirmation.- TR

  • sam-c April 16, 2020 (2:26 pm)

    Yes, it seems like it’s suffering from issues, pretty frequently.  Like, last Thursday, when ‘electrical issues’ prevented any crossing (transit, emergency, etc) for about 15 minutes last Thursday morning, during rush hour.https://twitter.com/SDOTtraffic/status/1248240530686750727

• dr April 16, 2020 (1:23 pm)

  And while we’re at it, let’s ask who really designed this bridge.  If it’s like the 520 Bridge pontoons that leaked immediately, we find out that those in charge told the designers that they already had that part of design taken care of.  Dismissed the engineers who should have designed it as we all waited to see which part of the construction would fail first.  

• Alvis April 16, 2020 (1:32 pm)

  Thanks for the updated info about the remaining Admiral Junction bus connections, and for the suggestions about potentially getting future Rx refills delivered by mail. Much appreciated. 

  • WSB April 16, 2020 (1:54 pm)

    Stand by though … Metro just announced ANOTHER round of bus cuts; we’ll have that story shortly …

• Deborah Clouse April 16, 2020 (1:35 pm)

  West Seattle should go back to being it’s own little city. Plus they should begin to build their own hospitals. West Seattle has been there a very long time. Check your history.   

  • WS Guy April 16, 2020 (8:55 pm)

    It’s too late for “little”.  Seattle already stuck us with massive density, supposedly because certain areas have “frequent transit service”.

• No Deception Pass April 16, 2020 (2:01 pm)

  I’ve noticed a number of WSDOT trucks on the bridge daily
  doing inspections, the bridge CAN hold light traffic apparently.
  Why not open the lower bridge to ALL traffic and have the
  cops (currently busy writing tickets to people using lower bridge) move upper
  bridge barricades (24/7) to allow emergency vehicles through?
   The only reason given
  for restrictions on the lower bridge is for ’emergency vehicle use’ and
  transit, this should be remedied during these difficult times

  • WSJ April 16, 2020 (3:07 pm)

    Not sure if you’re being deliberately ignorant, but the restrictions are so that we don’t have gridlock which would result in a dangerous inability for emergency vehicles to get through when needed. The lower bridge can’t handle the entirety of traffic flow for WS, period. 

    • No Deception Pass April 16, 2020 (3:47 pm)

      Try reading the suggestion again.. PERIOD (LOL) it might sink in. Why so angry ?

• James April 16, 2020 (2:20 pm)

  Two years is completely unacceptable! You killed an entire economy over here!

• James April 16, 2020 (2:27 pm)

  WSB…can we not just get a cable-stayed bridge like Tappan Zee Bridge in NY? They built that in four years… Much longer and bigger than what West Seattle Bridge needs to be. 

• Stuart April 16, 2020 (3:19 pm)

  Can they stop or at least reroute the Washington State Ferry so it doesn’t drop a boat load of cars in West Seattle?  

• Rocky Billwinkle April 16, 2020 (3:37 pm)

  Temporary swing bridge. 

  • Rocky Bullwinkle April 16, 2020 (4:12 pm)

    

• Sf April 16, 2020 (3:50 pm)

  Actual literal usage of boat load is recognized and applauded.

• China Cat April 16, 2020 (6:44 pm)

  Way past time to declare the Duwamish River no longer navigable.  No need for a bridge as high as WS bridge. Time to say that only flat barges and small tugs haul the freight . No large vessels, sailboats etc are needed upstream of current lower bridge. Our US Senators and Reps need to convince Congress, to close the River down. Boeing can haul all their freight by truck. Remember we made Harbor Island out of River mud and sand. We then stood by as our industrial neighbors polluted the River bed, and never cleaned it up. We no longer need a high rise bridge, as long as small vessels are used in the waterway. Why we let the industry corporations dictate travel in this River is beyond me? How come no one else has brought this up? Time to take it back.  Boeing moved their headquarters to Chicago and they now want a bailout of US taxpayer dollars. They no longer deserve access to the Duwamish River. Shut all vessel traffic down, now! They can haul their freight in a different avenue.

  • WS Guy April 16, 2020 (8:57 pm)

    Worth considering. 

  • Canton April 16, 2020 (9:37 pm)

    Excellent  point. Been trying  to figure the southernmost point a large ship has to access. As you stated, alot of Boeing facilities there. Unfortunately,  maritime laws rule.

• Derrick April 16, 2020 (10:47 pm)

  Have we considered limiting freight / big rigs on the 1st street bridge during peak travel times? I was stuck behind a very slow truck today and it really slowed things down. Seems that if they can use the low bridge and regular cars can’t – that the regular cars should have our own bridge too. 

• 50 Year WS resident April 17, 2020 (7:44 am)

  When They Built It They Saved Money By Not Incorporating Expansion joints. Now they claim the bridge has become unusable  and want Federal money to fix it. When it’s fixed they are going to charge toll because that works so well on the Evergreen Bridge and the Tunnel. Seattle will be a National  Model as how to fleece their citizens  

Sorry, comment time is over.