7:43 PM: Thanks for the tips. The West Seattle low bridge is malfunctioning again, SDOT confirms – blaming “technical issues” – so avoid it for now.
7:48 PM: An SDOT truck with an illuminated “ROAD CLOSED” message just pulled into the view from the live camera.
8:52 PM: Per live camera, still closed to traffic.
9:42 PM: Reopened.
I wonder if SDOT is ever going to fix the bridge, or if it’s going to have band-aid repairs done to it everyday while they build more bike paths and ignore the failing infrastructure that’s falling around them. I can only imagine how upset the tug companies are getting and the Coast Guard seems to not be doing anything either when they could force SDOT to fix it or leave it open until they do… this is getting really sad.
I think it’s a fundamental design failure. It’s a unique design – the only one of its kind in the world. One of the benefits of using a standardized design is that all the problems have been worked out. The problem with being the first is all the problems are solely your problem. It’s why Bertha was such a mess, being the largest diameter boring project in history, while Sound Transit was quietly boring miles and miles of tunnels ahead of schedule with no drama. I wish Seattle could stop trying so hard to be unique with infrastructure projects and stick to what works.
There happens to be a bike path across the bridge. It’s the main commuter route for cyclists headed north or east. Cyclists not only share your pain, Frustrated, they feel it worse because detouring via the 1st Ave bridge takes at least 45 minutes. As for the Coast Guard “forcing” the city to fix the bridge, please share your expertise at fixing unknown undetected problems. If you don’t have any ideas at least channel your ire at the fool DRIVER (not cyclist) who thought it would be fun to ram the barrier.
Number 1: the bridge was not built for cyclists or pedestrians or even every day drivers. It was built for port traffic. The fact that cyclists and pedestrians have a path is a bonus and not a right. According to Coast Guard regulations a bridge is an impediment to vessel traffic and if a bridge is not in proper operation the Coast Guard has the right to force to operating organization to open the bridge and leave it open until it is fixed. This has happened before with the old South Park Bridge. This is not necessarily because the bridge is the second of its kind (only one left in operation) it’s due to either lack of funding or lack of foresight that moving parts break and having nothing to replaces them. At this point this issue is not an “undetected, unknown problem” it has been happening for a while. If you’re going to insult me at least know what you’re talking about.
I know the problem has been happening for a while. That does not mean SDOT understands the problem and is too stupid to fix it. If you know what you’re talking about, tell us how to fix the bridge.
Its not just for port traffic…the low bridge was built for a multitude of reason 
Many people operate under the assumption that anything they don’t understand must be simple.The post you replied to reminds me of a George Carlin line – “Think about the average man – and realize half the people are dumber than him.”
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