UPDATE: Crash(es) on westbound West Seattle Bridge

(Photo from commenter)

10:42 AM: Emergency responders are headed toward what might be two separate crashes toward the end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge – one pickup truck reported to have hit a pole, another reported to have hit the median. If you’re headed this way, you might consider an alternate route, or exiting the bridge before you get to the last stretch.

10:45 AM: No injuries reported so far. But this may affect eastbound traffic too, which will have to be blocked off to reset the median barrier – an SDOT crew is being summoned for that.

11:18 AM: Currently “one lane blocked eastbound and one blocked westbound,” police have told dispatch. And eastbound will be fully closed eastbound shortly for the barrier reset.

11:40 AM: Fully open again both ways.

CJ November 14, 2024 (12:18 pm)

Let me guess – these crashes were at the infamous Welcome to West Seattle curve?

Here before the “It’s Sdots fault” crowd November 14, 2024 (1:18 pm)

News flash once again!!!

Speed = HIGH probability of collision.

Speed + rain = HIGHER probability of collision.

Stop excusing other terrible drivers by saying it’s the road’s fault for existing and stop justifying your own terrible driving with that logic. The same road that other drivers use with no incident when they practice common sense and USE CAUTION IN WEATHER CONDITIONS.

WSB November 14, 2024 (2:09 pm)

It wasn’t raining at the time.
- MJ November 14, 2024 (3:21 pm)
  
  The bridge was slick in th morning when I got on the ramp on Delridge.
- CR November 15, 2024 (8:14 pm)
  
  There is water in the photo…
Mike November 14, 2024 (2:17 pm)

This isn’t a productive comment. There is clearly an issue at that specific corner. What is your suggestion for how to solve it? You can’t expect every driver to be as safe and smart as yourself. Furthermore, for some drivers, this is their first time driving around the slick corner, while you’ve navigated it many times.
- Newsflasher November 14, 2024 (4:15 pm)
  
  I navigate once a month sometimes once in 6 weeks. Let’s say 1x a month = 12 times a year. You think I have more experience than someone who is driving it new. So wouldn’t you agree that if you’re driving somewhere new you would be even more cautious? Or you’re just throwing caution to the wind and whatever happens happens and clearly once again it’s the roads/sdots fault.
Don November 14, 2024 (2:26 pm)

Spot on!!
K November 14, 2024 (3:52 pm)

No one has said speed was a factor here, nor is it reported in most of the other crashes WSB posts about at this site. Either there’s something happening at this spot that isn’t happening at every other curved street in the city, or everyone speeds at this curve and nowhere else. One of those two is a lot more logical than the other. Think before you post.
- Seattlite November 14, 2024 (10:59 pm)
  
  You got one thing right in your comment…everyone does speed on the WS Bridge. Few drivers are following the WS Bridge’s posted speed limits (45 mph with a couple of lower speed postings in some sections) which is so dangerous. The higher the speed the less control a driver has over a vehicle.
Adam November 14, 2024 (5:12 pm)

Ok so here’s my question for you then: there are uncontrolled 4-ways all over the country. If enough ppl cause collisions at one, the agency in charge of the intersection often declares it unsafe and puts up at least 2 stop signs, if not 4, or they make it a roundabout, regardless of the reason that intersection is dangerous, because it increases safety and lowers costs for everyone. Couldn’t that apply here? Wouldn’t there be a benefit to accident mitigation? Since it happens almost every time right where the pavement transitions from a more grippy style to a slick one, right where there’s a depression in the road that causes some vehicles to go into a bounce-like motion momentarily, couldn’t something be done to rectify this or mitigate problems? Or is it more important that everyone understands how you feel about it? We could just provide a fix that costs us once, and gain benefit
WSzombie November 14, 2024 (9:24 pm)

If you’ve never driven a truck through that part of the bridge, you need to stay out of the conversation because you don’t have firsthand knowledge of what happens there.First, the cement in that section is terribly slick. Wet or dry, it’s simply bad road. Second, there are dips in the road that cause weight transfer up and down when going over them. Finally, with a truck, that weight transfer combined with no weight in the backend causes a lack of grip and the rear to kick out. You can be going 20 mph or 120 mph, physics are still physics.
- Brian November 15, 2024 (7:46 am)
  
  This is a lot of words to say “I do not know how to safely operate my vehicle.”you can’t just say “that’s trucks!” If that’s true then they need to be off the road completely lmao

Brian November 14, 2024 (5:01 pm)

That entire stretch looks like a bomb went off with bits of car littered on both sides of the road. At least SDOT got the barrier a little straighter?

Mr J November 14, 2024 (8:33 pm)

Mike November 14, 2024 (9:09 pm)

Ah man, that looks like my highschool ’77 GMC pickup, 2WD High Sierra Camper Special. I couldn’t afford to drive that now, 2 20 gallon tanks @ $3.70/gal… Oof

B November 14, 2024 (9:06 pm)

When driving my vehicle around that curve, I can most definitely tell that there are dips in the pavement right about where the pavement changes from new to old. The dip in the right lane is a little worse than the one in the left. Maybe these dips aren’t so obvious in other vehicles with looser or tighter suspensions than mine. I feel like my vehicle loses traction as it rises out of these dips. If they leveled out that pavement, I have a feeling that the number of spinouts would be greatly reduced.

Amy T November 15, 2024 (7:01 am)

I’m sorry this happened again but seriously everyone is in such a hurry slow tf down you already know this is a problem area why do you keep testing logic ? Also some of ya all need to get better tires born n raised here I’ve never seen sooo many accidents consistently I know we have more people but seriously slow down and if you need to be somewhere leave earlier

BDR November 15, 2024 (7:19 am)

WSB, when you have a slow day, it would be interesting to know how many crashes have happened on that part of the bridge since it reopened. Sure driver error is most likely part of the issue in some of the wrecks there. However if SDOT could improve traction there, before someone is critically injured or dies on that curve that will cost the City less money than a lawsuit that could happen for neglecting to take action to improve the safety on that curve. Be safe, be kind. Everyone is dealing with issues they don’t share with others. It costs you nothing to be kind to people.

Frog November 15, 2024 (8:56 am)

At some point, the satisfaction of watching aggressive pickup truck drivers crash is outweighed by the cost of constantly responding to the crashes, and the delay and inconvenience to everyone driving a Prius along the same route. Fixing the curve might not be a bad idea, actually.

Wallflower November 15, 2024 (9:45 am)

Most of that section West bound has been recently replaced with grooved cement to add traction. Near the end of the curve, it joins the old pavement which has exposed, smooth stones in it’s makeup.I think that’s providing a sudden loss of control. Perhaps a good fix would be to extend the grooved cement all the way through the curve.

Bbron November 15, 2024 (11:32 am)

Reminder that our representative in city council sees their desire to turn left on Delridge as the most important “safety” concern for West Seattle rather than this easily identifiable problematic curve. I’m sure $2 million would be better suited here improving the roadway than removing infrastructure to allow hazardous driving behavior. Keep notes for 2028 (ugh).

WS98 November 15, 2024 (1:55 pm)

I’m glad there were no injuries reported, it must have been a stressful event for the driver and others nearby. I’ve driven this route for decades and there were significantly fewer accidents in this location (or the Admiral/Olga curve) compared to recent times because most people were actually driving the speed limit or maybe 5 over. I still drive it regularly and am passed all the time by vehicles going 50+ MPH (on the curve or across the bridge) and on occasion some over 60. Drivers learn that you should slow down on a curve, especially considering the amount of rain we’ve gotten all week. Last night at 7pm in the pouring rain (huge hydroplane puddles) most people inbound were driving the speed limit or 5 under going into the curve, but several flew past at 50MPH. Night before last drivers on 509 Northbound were going 70+, drivers going up Admiral were clocking in at 50+. Not complaining, just stating what I’m observing. The road isn’t the problem, it’s reckless driving and Seattle traffic accident/infraction statistics support this with speeding the main culprit. Washington Traffic Safety Commission did a school zone study in 2022-23, 71% of drivers sped through them at 25MPH or more and in one location 98% of the drivers sped through the zone. I would only be guessing but if 71% or more of drivers are speeding through school zones, they’re likely also speeding elsewhere. Maybe it’s time for the city to install speed camera’s in these locations.

K November 15, 2024 (3:09 pm)

I just want to point out that if there’s enough water pooling on the road to hydroplane, that IS a problem with the road. They’re (supposed to be) designed to shed water.

wetone November 15, 2024 (4:21 pm)

As a person who has worked and walked on this section of roadway before bridge was closed and after reopening, I will say road surface was sketchy before bridge was closed due to surface wear and the dip. What I mean is the concrete mix used in roadways has bigger rocks in mix than most sidewalks would have and after many years of traffic those rocks are exposed leaving surface almost polished and very slick when wet. During bridge closer they resurfaced a section of roadway in the curve area and that is a grooved surface. So you have uphill curve section of roadway with new grooved road surface, original worn-out road surface with a good size dip. Bad combo for any vehicle, but trucks especially due to light rearend and suspension unloading. Really surprised city hasn’t at least ground/grooved area roadways. Eastbound side is bad also going downhill with dip that unloads suspension heading into curve……. Is speeding on issue ? well it sure doesn’t help but that section of roadway when wet is really dangerous in my opinion ;)

CR November 15, 2024 (8:26 pm)

I appreciate this reply. So it should be improved.. but I do think people ought to drive more carefully in general. Yes it is good to improve roadways for safety, but also not great that people are so quick to blame everything around them. People get away with a lot of crap and feel invincible.

wsn00b November 16, 2024 (1:45 pm)

One would think, some competent and empowered SDOT manager would look at the data (type of vehicle, conditions) , compare it to the time/money spent on partially/minimally “realigning” the concrete barrier (more like an accordion now) and very likely come to the conclusion that its a high accident zone where they could functionally do a lot more (signage, resurfacing). Drivers do a lot of stupid stuff (even the best ones on this blog comment stream) but this corner is visibly an anomaly to most residents/commuters in the area. As a trained driver (in commercial and motorsports, beyond basics to get you to a pass our super easy driving tests) I can tell you that the roadway in that section is dangerous. It is going to take out 10 more unloaded pickup trucks this winter as they slow down, go over the eroded bumps, and effectively lift-off oversteer into the embrace of the concrete accordion.Hopefully, one of these crashed drivers has a good enough lawyer (or friends in the media) that can do some actual research beyond all our feelings and spur some action via SDOT.

Sorry, comment time is over.