TRAFFIC ALERT: West Marginal Way SW work tomorrow

If you travel on West Marginal Way SW, here’s an alert about work that will mean lane closures tomorrow. From SDOT:

Tomorrow, Seattle Parks and Recreation will be performing emergency tree removal work. Parks will be removing 5 trees on West Marginal Way SW that are at risk of being uprooted due to heavy rains and could fall into the roadway, causing safety issues and unplanned road closures.

Tree removal will start as early as 9 a.m. on January 5 and continue through the afternoon. The trees are being removed approximately 300 feet north of the intersection of West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way SW. West Marginal Way SW will be reduced to one lane each way near the work area. People using the corridor should follow posted signs in the area.

CarDriver January 4, 2021 (7:56 pm)

WSB. Did SDOT mention any mudslide concerns here(or anywhere else)or are these trees the only issue?

WSB January 4, 2021 (8:09 pm)

No.

Mike January 4, 2021 (9:45 pm)

Are you seriously telling me that this “work” being conducted in an area with very minimal impact to homes and traffic CANNOT be done during the overnight hours?

That it HAS to be done on one of only TWO major arterials out of WS in the middle of a workday after the holidays and with many people returning to work, thus creating a commute from hell.

I am so sick of the ineptitude of damn near EVERYONE that works for or within ANY department of the City of Seattle. What a damn joke.

John Smith January 4, 2021 (10:13 pm)

Mike, I am guessing that SDOT (or a tree removal/trimming contractor for SDOT) nixed the idea of working in the dark; daylight is probably required for the safety of the personnel actually removing the trees.
bill January 4, 2021 (10:53 pm)

Gee Mike, what could be easier and more trivial than taking down big, potentially unstable trees in the dark?
- Mary January 4, 2021 (11:52 pm)
  
  Bill- They have those high wattage lights for night road work as seen for the work on freeway construction! And certainly someone has marked which trees need removal and is familiar with the terrain and has a plan to mitigate risks. And somebody better have checked with the Port of Seattle to verify/ coordinate that there won’t be a day of container ship offloading so lots of trucks tomorrow which will screw up and slowdown traffic even more! The city needs to cause the least delay to commuters THEY SHOULD LET MORE CARS USE THE LOW BRIDGE in situations like this!
  - reed January 5, 2021 (9:48 am)
    
    Demand that the people performing this work significantly increase their risk to minimize your minor inconvenience. How selfish of you.

drM January 4, 2021 (10:12 pm)

Hear hear to Mike.

HP Scott January 5, 2021 (6:49 am)

I really hope that the reckless drivers who frequent this road do not cause an accident and injury or kill these park employees are working to improve public safety.

AN January 5, 2021 (7:44 am)

I would rather be inconvenienced for one day than to come across a crushed car with serious injuries, or worse! I drive this road everyday and the Dec 21’st flooding left very large tree branches in the road that hit my car that day! I was going to call DOT this morning until I saw WSB mentioned it. Thank you!

J January 5, 2021 (11:17 am)

As someone who has had one of these trees fall on their car while driving by, it’s about time that someone takes action.

wseaturtle January 5, 2021 (4:33 pm)

I drove by during the work, it was no big deal, and then on my return it looks like there’smany still hanging over the roadside. Maybe that’s all the budget allowed.