WEATHER, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK: Monday notes, with South Park Bridge closed

6:03=4 AM: Good morning!

WEATHER

More stormy weather in today’s forecast – south wind that could gust to 40 mph, and intermittent rain.

CLOSURE

As noted last night, the South Park Bridge and a stretch of East Marginal Way, between 14th Ave South and South 86th Place, are closed for power line/pole repairs, and might remain closed until tonight. Here’s the nearest camera:

OTHER BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

583rd morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

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

The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

Are movable bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed is down again. But 1st Ave. South Bridge openings are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.

ROAD WORK – TODAY AND THIS WEEKEND

26th SW – Ongoing closure between Roxbury and Barton for RapidRide H Line prep work. We checked on Wednesday – about another month to go. (They’ve had a procurement delay in signal loops.)

BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES

Regular Metro schedule, except for the rerouting in RapidRide H Line work zones – on 26th and 15th SW in particular. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations.

For ferries and Water Taxi: WSF is back to two-boat service on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates. The Water Taxi remains on its new schedule (no weekend or off-peak shuttle buses).

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

Thomas A Wood October 25, 2021 (7:00 am)

After last year when power poles came down on East Marginal way.How is it that a year later here we are again with a dozen poles down! What is going on? City light needs to tell us why!

Foop October 25, 2021 (7:47 am)

Well, it was verrrry windy yesterday.
S.A. October 25, 2021 (8:46 am)

It’s definitely a conspiracy.
Par for the course October 25, 2021 (9:30 am)

The reason why is simple. No Seattle utility (water, sewer, storm, or City Light) invests the money that they are supposed to invest in capital projects for infrastructure replacements and upgrades. As someone who has worked some with the City (along with a lot of cities and special utility districts in the region) as a civil engineering consultant, Seattle is the worst agency to work with by far. This city is woefully (a decade maybe two or three?) behind in capital project replacements. At some point the water and sewer infrastructure is going to collapse. This is not hyperbole. When pipes are past their useful life and not being replaced, sooner or later the lifespan will end. I bet the amount of pipes in this city that are 20+ years past their useful life is significant. We’ve been lucky so far but at some point they will fail. Emergency repairs are extraordinarily expensive then you come back a couple of years later and rip out the repair with the rest of the old pipe as part of a planned project. The City is gambling that they will be able to address the failing pipes as they fail or that the pipes will never fail. Neither are appropriate but until it bites them they are going to kick the can down the road. If you think the bridge being down is inconvenient, wait until you can’t flush a toilet or take a shower for an unknown amount of time.
- Par for the course everywhere October 25, 2021 (9:43 am)
  
  You should also point out that this is not limited to Seattle, but every major city in the country. Infrastructure is woefully underfunded nationwide, so if you think it is better anywhere else, or particularly bad here, I have a bridge to sell you. Also a civil engineer consultant.
  - Par for the course October 25, 2021 (10:15 am)
    
    Sell the bridge to a sucker that gives a rats … about other major cities. That’s like telling your parents that your friend did something wrong too when you get caught. What the heck does that have to do with anything? I don’t live in those cities so I am talking about my city. I’m curious what the point of your comment is? Do you think it is excusable or right that we are doing this? Do you think that it isn’t a problem and that the city is on the right track?
  - Par for the course October 25, 2021 (10:39 am)
    
    May I ask what is the point of your comment? Is it that because everyone else mismanages their public utilities that we are okay doing that as well?
    - Kevin on Delridge October 25, 2021 (12:07 pm)
      
      I am not the poster, but the point is important because may it might signal that we’ve made some fundamental miscalculations in our building and funding of cities.In reality, one could ask what point your comment was trying to make. You painted a dire picture with the implication that these things obviously need to be paid for, but did nothing to provide context on how or why we’ve ended up in this situation.
      
      Pointing fingers or painting a gloomy picture isn’t difficult as seen in your comment. As as common in society today, having a meaningful discussion that isn’t laced with blame, diversion, or outright hated is difficult.
      
      If you’re interested in some reading on the topic of why our cities are poorly funded and planned, I’d recommend a book by Charles Marohn called Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity.
      
      There is also a more digestible YouTube series that discusses some of the concepts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SXXTBypIg&list=PLJp5q-R0lZ0_FCUbeVWK6OGLN69ehUTVa&ab_channel=NotJustBikes
      
      These are but a few resources and by no means the only things on the topic, but recognizing that something might be wrong external to the symptoms leads to a more productive discussion and hopefully action on these issues.
- Question Authority October 25, 2021 (12:27 pm)
  
  Nobody wants the street they live or commute on tore up to fix or replace anything, nor do they want to pay for it. Out of sight, out of mind is how most think about Utilities.

Sixbuck October 25, 2021 (7:21 am)

Let’s knock out the 1st Avenue South bridge for the trifecta!

Reed October 25, 2021 (9:00 am)

Bike lanes are covered with debris and garbage. Lots of stuff hidden by slick leaves. Still managed to get to work early to work early thanks to the ripping tailwind on east marginal. Will be a fight coming home though.

North Delridge Homeowner October 25, 2021 (12:53 pm)

Talk about things needing to be fixed, the abandoned railroad tracks that have the signage that indicates “Tracks not in use” there on Highway 99/East Marginal Way for the tracks that span all 6 lanes of traffic (including the center turn lane) need to be torn up and the highway repaved. Most of us that would normally be on the West Seattle High-rise are now using this road going to and coming from downtown Seattle. On my commute home last Friday I was in the center lane heading South and hit ‘something’ as I crossed the tracks that blew a hole in the sidewall of my tire the size of a half dollar. Thankfully I was able to get off the highway and into the parking lot of the Ardagh Group till AAA was able to come to my rescue .

Gatewood88 October 25, 2021 (8:37 pm)

That exact same thing happened to me on east marginal a couple years ago.. down by Ohio. Crossing tracks that no longer used. Popped 2 tires… city doing a piss poor job keeping up infrastructure even on extremely important arterials…