WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE REOPENING: Timing notes and final touches

Six days until the scheduled reopening of the West Seattle Bridge after 2 1/2 years. Today’s notes:

TIMING: We asked SDOT again today exactly when on Sunday they plan to reopen the bridge. Reply: They’re still not saying.

BUSES: After we published our report today on the Metro “service change” this Saturday, Metro announced that the bus routes returning to the high bridge won’t do that until the start of the service day on Monday, instead of Sunday.

FINAL TOUCHES: If you’re wondering what’s happening on the bridge in these final days, SDOT has published an update, including a recap of all the maintenance work that’s been done during the repairs, including resurfacing the west end of the bridge (formally the Fauntleroy Expressway):

(SDOT photo)

SPEAKING OF CONCRETE: The labor dispute that delayed part of the bridge-repair work earlier this year is now over. Teamsters Local 174 says its members have ratified a new contract, more than a year after the old one expired.

Odd son September 12, 2022 (5:02 pm)

SDOT assured me that all signage will return to 35th at Fauntleroy and SW Avalon Way. Please be on the look out if you are new to W Seattle or you have gotten in the habit of making left turns where they will soon be illegal. A lot of traffic will be in the area once the bridge opens and it will help everyone if traffic flows safely and smoothly.

bill September 13, 2022 (9:27 pm)

LOL. Just watch all the illegal lefts from uphill Avalon to Yancy to see how effective signage is. It will take a team of motorcycle cops staking out each intersection for a year to educate drivers on the meaning of “no left.”

WestSeattleBadTakes September 12, 2022 (5:34 pm)

Great work getting that bag Teamsters Local 174!

Mj September 12, 2022 (5:38 pm)

Odd son – yes SDoT should have revised the signage during the closure. LT’s are easy with no oncoming traffic that should change soon making LT’s not feasible or legal.

Flivver September 12, 2022 (6:35 pm)

Any word on if SDOT will be monitoring signal timing? Not only for the entrance/exit to the high bridge but the alternate routes in and out of WS?? My bet is no but hope springs eternal………..

WSB September 12, 2022 (6:54 pm)

Yes, they monitor signal timing, But as I tell people who occasionally contact us about a problem, let them know if you feel one needs attention. 206-684-ROAD.

Boinsted September 12, 2022 (8:57 pm)

Sorry if already asked – but will the low bridge lift it’s drive-time restrictions once the upper bridge reopens? I assume so – but you know what they say about assuming.

Lower Bridge? September 12, 2022 (9:19 pm)

You may have covered this elsewhere, and it may seem like it goes without saying, but have they confirmed the travel restrictions (and accompanying fines) on the lower bridge will be lifted when the upper bridge reopens?

WSB September 12, 2022 (10:46 pm)

Yes, we’ve reported that several times. The moment the high bridge reopens, the low bridge restrictions are off.
- David September 13, 2022 (4:18 pm)
  
  Possibly more importantly, will they turn the cameras and automated ticketing off? I hope the implementation is tied to the rhetoric, but I’m not holding my breath. Or using the lower bridge any time soon, because one BS fine is enough for one decade (shelling out $300 because someone stuck a sign on my block on a Saturday night saying they would tow cars Monday morning).
  - WSB September 13, 2022 (4:34 pm)
    
    Yes, we’ve already reported that. Most recently, see the fourth slide in this story from last Friday:
    https://westseattleblog.com/2022/09/west-seattle-bridge-postcard-survey-district-1-community-network-briefing/
    - David September 13, 2022 (9:29 pm)
      
      Thank you for the link, but still not using the lower bridge any time soon. As I said, I hope the implementation is tied to the rhetoric – but that isn’t my experience, as I was whining about above. “The No-Parking easels, including the printed public notice, should be placed 72 hours in advance.”
      Yet they reserve the right to, and do, tow with as little as someone sticking a sign somewhere on your block 24 hours ahead of time. This creative form of civil asset forfeiture still blows my mind, but hey: Seattle.
    - Ferns September 15, 2022 (8:37 am)
      
      It’s any city – not a Seattle thing. But yes, I think more than 24 hours notice is fairer. Had a friend in Boston who got less than a 24 hour notice with those signs before ticket/tow and lost fighting it in court. Got rid of his car because he was so sick of abusive ticketing in his neighborhood and his local officials seeming not to care. But the trains there are more convenient than here for getting around without a car so he could do it.
  - hj September 14, 2022 (7:53 pm)
    
    By all means, please avoid using the bridge for whatever reason you like. More room for the rest of us.
    - David September 15, 2022 (7:32 pm)
      
      Sincerely hope whatever made your day bad enough to want to whiz in others’ cereal has gotten better. Peace.

Jim September 16, 2022 (4:16 pm)

Will The Bridge be open by 8 AM on Sunday? I have an appointment in North Seattle at 8:30 and will choose an alternate if it will be crowded or still closed… Thanks

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