TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: First weekday morning with the reopened West Seattle Bridge

(Scroll down for updates on today’s traffic)

6:00 AM: Good morning. It’s Monday, September 19th, first weekday with the reopened West Seattle Bridge. The format for the daily traffic notes is obviously evolving with this big change. Today, we’ll be live-chronicling the first commute with the bridge. As we start, no problems reported, so here’s some basic daily info:

WEATHER

Here’s the forecast – sunny, high in the low 70s.

TRANSIT INFO

Metro buses are back on the high bridge, and today also is their first weekday since Saturday’s twice-yearly service change; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts.

No changes in ferries (Check here for alerts/updates) or West Seattle Water Taxi service today.

BRIDGES

High Bridge – here’s the reactivated camera atop the span.

Low Bridge: All restrictions are now lifted, so it’s open to anyone who wants to use it.

We’ll add other cameras as the morning goes. 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

Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.

6:26 AM: The helicopter near the bridge is just the shared-TV chopper, covering the same thing we are – first bridge-open morning. So far, bridge traffic remains very light.

7 AM: All still quiet, on the bridge and other routes. If you’re heading for 1st Avenue through downtown, be aware that traffic is being affected by a fire near 1st/Cherry in Pioneer Square.

7:30 AM: The bridge is busier but no backups. Same goes for other routes (including the ex-detours) covered by cameras. We’re heading out for a ground-level look around.

8 AM: Bridge = still lightly traveled. … Our crew’s just back from a trip through Highland Park, down West Marginal, up Spokane to Avalon, no backups in sight.

8:07 AM: First West Seattle problem of the morning – crash reported at 26th/Roxbury.

8:27 AM: Not major – blocking a turn lane. No major injuries:

Back to the bridge – still no slowdowns/backups.

9 AM: Looks like Morning 1 is traffic-jam-free. But Tuesdays anecdotally always seemed busier, so we’ll do this again tomorrow.

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

32 Replies to "TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: First weekday morning with the reopened West Seattle Bridge"

  • Nino September 19, 2022 (7:12 am)

    Just mapped my commute from North Admiral to Fremont and it said 14 min at 7am. I reset and redid it because well, even now I donโ€™t quite believe itโ€™s right.

    • WSB September 19, 2022 (7:27 am)

      The live camera continues to show bridge traffic fairly light. Just now starting to get busier, but no backup.

  • BB September 19, 2022 (7:45 am)

    Fauntleroy to Interbay 25 minutes!!it was double that last week 

  • AJ September 19, 2022 (8:09 am)

    Shaving off 25 minutes off my commute. Woohoo!!

  • HD September 19, 2022 (8:29 am)

    13 minutes from Fauntleroy to 4th Ave!!!  Granted, traffic was light but what a huge relief!!!! I wonโ€™t know what to do with the extra time!

    • FauntleRoy Kent September 19, 2022 (8:22 pm)

      Oi, I hope you observed the speed limit. ;-)

  • JS September 19, 2022 (8:29 am)

    15 minutes off my commute to Renton? Don’t mind if I do!

  • Pelicans September 19, 2022 (8:35 am)

    Tracy,Thanks for the great coverage!  Does anyone know if the southbound I-5 ramp to the bridge is open yet?

    • WSB September 19, 2022 (8:46 am)

      Yes, WSDOT finished its Revive I-5 weekend work yesterday and tweeted that all ramps on SB I-5 had reopened.

  • Gina September 19, 2022 (9:03 am)

    Things will pickup at 10 when Costco open!

    • Grant G September 19, 2022 (11:38 am)

      Funny – last evening we decided to take an โ€œinauguralโ€ bridge trip. Costco was our excuse of a destination. 

  • SR September 19, 2022 (9:09 am)

    Shaved 15 mins off my commute this morning. Looking forward to the afternoon commute – words I thought I’d never speak.  

  • ILoveTheBridge September 19, 2022 (9:23 am)

    My 30-35 min commute to SODO is now only 7 minutes, 50+ min of my day is back! My partner’s commute to Redmond went down to 35min from 75 minutes. Can’t believe this is real

  • Lina September 19, 2022 (9:48 am)

    Dropped my kid off at Pathfinder coming from High Point (up Sylvan) and it was faster!  Even inside West Seattle trips are improved, so psyched!

  • Sam September 19, 2022 (10:06 am)

    It was glorious 

  • David September 19, 2022 (10:40 am)

    As someone who lives on Avalon…. I’m over the moon.  I moved in 3 days before the bridge went down… this is the quietest AM since I lived here. 

  • s September 19, 2022 (11:22 am)

    Our 8:00 bus# 57 driver did not use the high bridge. When asked if this bus does go over the high bridge, he said “no”. Frankly, does not seem right.

    • Sue September 19, 2022 (4:25 pm)

      You’re correct – it’s definitely supposed to be going over the high bridge.https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/metro/schedules/pdf/09172022/rt-057.pdf

    • Pigeon Point RN September 20, 2022 (8:42 am)

      My 120 at 0715 also took the low bridge.  I was standing there (it was full), with disbelief as we drove under the half a billion dollar bridge that just reopened, sitting at stoplights before/after the rickety low bridge, like ‘didn’t we just wait 2 1/2 years and pay aaaall the money for that thing to speed up our commute?”

  • Joe Z September 19, 2022 (11:50 am)

    I think induced demand will cause traffic to pick up after a few weeks (and Tue-Wed-Thu are way busier traffic days than Monday) but for now it’s really great. We haven’t had the bridge+99 tunnel combo in the post-pandemic world until now. 

  • Val September 19, 2022 (11:59 am)

    Iโ€™m curious how streets like Cloverdale through South Park and Michigan in Georgetown are fairing with the sudden relief in pressure, any insight? 

    • WSB September 19, 2022 (12:55 pm)

      We got as far as Holden through Highland Park for a look this morning. Maybe tomorrow morning we can check out SP! I did check the 14th S./S. Cloverdale (which looks eastward toward the bridge) periodically this am, didn’t see much traffic.

  • Andee September 19, 2022 (12:14 pm)

    Made it from my home in Admiral to Beacon Hill light rail in 4 minutes! I was blasting Kool and the Gang’s song “CELEBRATE” on the way. The reopening of the bridge reminds me to be in gratitude for everything I take for granted! 

  • Watertowerjim September 19, 2022 (12:35 pm)

    I promise to never, ever, ever complain that the NB 99 exit is backed up to the Delrridge on-ramp.  Ever!  What a relief.

  • Flivver September 19, 2022 (12:44 pm)

    WSB. Can you check with the city. I’m curious as to how many tickets were given for low bridge violations. Would be interesting to hear what % were given to WS residents and also fun to hear how many repeat offenders there were. 

    • WSB September 19, 2022 (12:52 pm)

      I doubt they have it sliced and diced that much. It’s SPD data, not SDOT, but I’ll ask.

    • Odd son September 19, 2022 (2:52 pm)

      I think a more interesting data point would be how many vehicles had no plates or covered plates. LOL. I know SPD did a sting one day but that didn’t prevent people from continuing to do it.

  • Snack September 19, 2022 (2:36 pm)

    So excitedโ€ฆโ€ฆ @ 9:30 this morning it took 15 minutes from 38thAveSW & SW Lander  to Amy Yee Tennis Center vs. 35 detour minutes.๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

  • waikikigirl September 19, 2022 (4:27 pm)

    Not sure if this has anything to do with the bridge reopening but we do our weekly grocery shopping most Monday’s and it is always so busy, granted it is always busy at this store but even more so since the bridge went down but today at our usual time it was a skate in the park! (Roxbury Safeway) BUT… 26th Ave SW Northbound west onto SW 106th St was still a good 15 cars long at the signal. ???

    • hj September 19, 2022 (6:46 pm)

      I can personally confirm that there is at least one person who will no longer be clogging the lines at the Roxbury Safeway due to the bridge reopening, because that person is me! I can’t speak for the others, of course.

    • 1994 September 19, 2022 (9:18 pm)

      School traffic? There are 2 private schools on 33rd or 34th just north of 106, and of course Arbor Heights Elementary.

      • waikikigirl September 20, 2022 (7:51 am)

        Schools, yes I guess all those cars could had been to pick up the kiddos at the private schools. There was a constant stream of cars going east on 106th too…I assume a lot of drivers found alternate routes while the bridge was closed and will keep on using them even though it is open now. OH and remember the days when kids would walk to and from school, ah those days are gone as we see everyday from the back-up of cars at Shorewood Elementary.     :>)

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