ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: Friday 1/15 watch, including weekend Sylvan Way closure

6:07 AM: It’s Friday, January 15th, the 298th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

LOW-BRIDGE CAMERA ENFORCEMENT: One more reminder on this fifth day of enforcement cameras on the low bridge – they’re photographing vehicles so that $75 tickets can be sent to owners of unauthorized vehicles crossing between 5 am and 9 pm. Who’s authorized and who’s not? See our story.

ROAD (ETC.) WORK

Delridge project – SW Thistle is now closed between Delridge and 20th. Here’s what else is happening this week.

California and Myrtle – The sewer-repair project continues – if driving/riding on California, watch out for the bumps; we noticed this new sign last night after a bicyclist was hurt and went to the hospital Monday:

Arbor Heights project – Gas-line replacement work on SW 104th is scheduled to continue.

Sylvan Way weekend closure? – This single sign has been up all week at 35th/Morgan, saying Sylvan will be closed 7:30 am to 4:30 pm both days this weekend:

We’ve been trying to find out what kind of work will be done and exactly where. but SDOT communications says they can’t find anyone in the department who knows about it. As of Thursday afternoon, there was no other signage along the length of Morgan/Sylvan/Orchard, and no Metro alerts about reroutes. So we’ll just have to see what happens Saturday.

9:36 AM: SDOT has finally tracked down some information, telling us it’s a Seattle Public Utilities project in the 6900 block of Sylvan. We are in turn contacting SPU now.

10:11 AM: And finally just now, Metro has sent a reroute alert. (Here are the details.)

CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

The main detour route across the Duwamish River, the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here are two cameras:

The other major bridge across the river – the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s the nearest camera:

Going through South Park? Don’t speed. (Same goes for the other detour-route neighborhoods, like Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge.)

To check for bridges’ marine-traffic openings, see the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.

You can view all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.

TRANSIT

Metro – On regular schedule – if you’re not subscribed to alerts, you can watch @kcmetrobus on Twitter for them

Water Taxi – On regular schedule (note the WT will not run on Monday, January 18th, for the King Day holiday)

Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

ScottAmick January 15, 2021 (6:19 am)

The Sylvan Way closure sign that I’ve seen a couple times this week was actually on Orchard between Delridge and Dumar so it seems there are two signs.

WSB January 15, 2021 (9:35 am)

We’ve been turning around at Home Depot so we didn’t see that. Anyway, alarming that it’s taken all week but SDOT finally turned up that it’s a Seattle Public Utilities project in the 6900 block of Sylvan. I’m now contacting SPU for info,
- WSB January 15, 2021 (10:12 am)
  
  … and just now, Metro finally sent a reroute alert.

LyndaB January 15, 2021 (7:20 am)

There is big backup merging to 99 N. Google maps indicated a crash so we rerouted to South Park. Be warned. Marginal way has City Light Crews working so there are backups. Lights are out along that stretch road next to the Boeing complex.

ImNotSparticus January 15, 2021 (9:11 am)

“Byciclists”? Someone needs a proofreader!

trickycoolj January 15, 2021 (10:29 am)

I live a block from Sylvan and this is the first I’m hearing of a closure??? We work from home but actually need to leave the island for unavoidable reasons. Ugh.

DogMom January 15, 2021 (10:58 am)

With regards to the Sylvan closure and SDOT’s response, “but SDOT communications says they can’t find anyone in the department who knows about it” — SDOT’s incompetency truly knows no bounds, lol.

WSB January 15, 2021 (11:00 am)

Since it’s not their project, the problem here seems to be interdepartmental communication. No less alarming.
- sam-c January 15, 2021 (1:02 pm)
  
  Yeah, wouldn’t SPU still need to get permits from SDOT to close the road ? That is one of the main detour re-routes due to the bridge closure – that is going to be a pain.

Anne January 15, 2021 (11:27 am)

-SPU/SDOT not communicating with each other regarding the weekend closure of a main reroute & main bus route change -until right now- is mind boggling.

Katie January 16, 2021 (9:20 am)

“So we’ll just have to see what happens Saturday.” What’s happening is utter chaos because the city said they knew nothing, so they did nothing, and trusted SPU to handle and they did nothing. The heavy traffic that has made Sylvan hill dangerous this past year is now flying through the Sylvan Ridge neighborhood because they have no idea where to go.

Train January 16, 2021 (2:12 pm)

It would be nice if 1) SPU were better thinkers and setup detour concessions for the neighborhoods surrounding their projects, like providing MORE THAN ONE reroute with speed deterrents. 2) that those using the detour have respect for the neighborhoods and the people in them by not driving angrily and recklessly speeding (and I mean SPEEDING). It’s amazing how many cars have driven this way in front of our house ALL day long….none stop since 7:30 this morning. Ridiculous.

Sorry, comment time is over.