TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK, WEATHER: Friday + weekend notes, 2 days before West Seattle Bridge reopening

(WSB photo, Thursday afternoon)

6:03 AM: Good morning. It’s Friday, September 16th, last weekday without the West Seattle Bridge.

WEATHER

Mostly cloudy, chance of showers, high around 65 .

BUSES, FERRIES, WATER TAXI

Metro buses are on their regular weekday schedules; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts. Remember that tomorrow is the next twice-yearly service change – here’s our look at planned West Seattle trip cuts. Metro plans to return buses to the high bridge on Monday.

Ferries: WSF continues the 2-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. Check here for alerts/updates.

The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its regular schedule.

ROAD WORK THIS WEEKEND

Here’s what SDOT has announced:

Leading up to reopening on Sunday and afterward, we’ll have various SDOT work crews near the bridge and along the detour routes. They will be removing a lot of signs, like the detour route signs and low bridge restriction signs. They’ll also be removing traffic control items like barricades, barrels, and digital messaging boards.

As part of the Reconnect West Seattle program, in addition to ongoing street maintenance and safety improvements, we will be completing a few projects this weekend.

*We began paving parts of SW Admiral Way last week, and we will continue paving through this Saturday.
*On Saturday and Sunday, we’ll be replacing concrete panels at the 16th Ave SW and SW Webster St intersection.

Work is expected to begin as early as 7 AM and conclude by 4 PM. Please expect delays, drive safely in work zones, and follow directions from signs and flaggers. Traffic will be maintained in both directions as we complete the work.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

908th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. 2 days until SDOT expects to reopen it – on this Sunday, September 18th. (Still no announcement yet of what time the reopening is expected on Sunday.)

Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use until the high bridge reopens; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings.

1st Avenue South Bridge:

South Park Bridge:

Highland Park Way/West Marginal Way

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

Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are tweeted by @wsdot_traffic.

All currently functional city traffic cams can be seen here, many with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page

Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.

Jeepney September 16, 2022 (8:44 am)

The WSB’s coverage of our bridge during the shutdown has been informative and vital. Hopefully they will receive an award for their reporting.

WSB September 16, 2022 (9:00 am)

Thanks for the kind words; there aren’t really any award categories for “consistent informative coverage” but our “award” remains, after 15 years, getting up in the morning and getting to do this for another day – TR
- Sam September 16, 2022 (12:32 pm)
  
  Pretty impressive stuff, even more so when considered against the landscape of news media today
DogMom September 16, 2022 (10:20 am)

+ 1 to infinity!!! Thank you, WSB.

Mariem September 16, 2022 (11:03 am)

Why are they not announcing a time for opening the bridge? I think it will be worse for people not to know which way to go if going into the city.

miws September 16, 2022 (11:35 am)

MarieM, Somebody speculated on here (if not, then Facebook) that it might be they don’t want people lining up in their cars, causing traffic issues, to be “first over”. —Mike
sam-c September 16, 2022 (11:38 am)

Maybe take a chance on Sunday, and if it’s not open, use the low bridge? I haven’t used the low bridge yet, so still have my ‘first time’s a warning’ pass.
- Joe Z September 16, 2022 (2:35 pm)
  
  They haven’t been enforcing the low bridge restrictions on weekends for months now.
bradley September 16, 2022 (11:59 am)

Because they don’t want lineups to be “first”. Hoping our Council is first in line.
James September 16, 2022 (12:10 pm)

If the fence is open, you can go. It will be obvious. Signage will be down.
Flo B September 16, 2022 (2:00 pm)

Mariem. SDOT has stated they do not want to have a traffic fiasco with people jockeying to be one of the 1st to cross the bridge. They’ll try to be as quick and unobtrusive as they can be pulling barricades. Although, word will get out quick.

justadumbguy September 16, 2022 (11:42 am)

Yeppers

Azimuth September 16, 2022 (12:42 pm)

Even it’s pre-paving, ground-down state, E Marginal is already a better road. Glad SDOT is paving it now that I will be using the Bridge again and won’t care much about E Marginal going forward.