UPDATE West Seattle Bridge lanes cleared, after hour-plus blockage by sideways trucks/trailers both ways

9:42 AM: Two incidents have the West Seattle Bridge down to one lane each way in almost the same spot, as shown in the traffic camera screengrab above. We’ve been mentioning the eastbound incident in our morning traffic roundup but now that there’s a westbound incident too, we’re breaking this out. Both involving truck trailers going sideways. Avoid the bridge for a while!

9:57 AM: Tow trucks are reported to be on the way (for both trucks/trailers).

10:16 AM: The first tow crew to arrive is on the westbound side; they’re trying to strategize how to temporarily block the 1st Avenue onramp too so they can work on getting this turned around so the tow crew can pull it away going west. Meantime, both outside lanes are now moving on the eastbound side, though the sideways truck is still there.

10;27 AM: Down to one lane again on the eastbound side again while they deal with tows. They’re going “eastbound in the westbound lanes” to get that truck/trailer off the bridge – using the inside westbound lane even while traffic continues westbound in the other lanes.

10:40 AM: The westbound side is now clear. On the eastbound side, they’re still working on the tow.

10:44 AM: And now the eastbound side is clear.

Christopher B, October 17, 2025 (9:47 am)

I’m not a conspiracy theorist but the level of coincidence involved here seems statistically implausible.

AC October 17, 2025 (11:12 am)

I think the first accident happened because it’s rainy and slippery and whatever reason. And then the 2nd accident happened probably because someone on the other side slowed down to look. I was stuck in it, took me 1h15 to drive to work downtown

BlairJ October 17, 2025 (9:52 am)

How on Earth does this happen? Is that the same slippery spot that has been identified previously?

bill October 17, 2025 (10:23 am)

No. That would be Darwin’s Curve, the westbound curve on the Fauntleroy exit. And it’s not slippery.
bolo October 17, 2025 (10:27 am)

Which “same slippery spot that has been identified previously?” There have been several.

This one is near the exit to N/B 99.

A common thing for drivers to do there is to impulsively decide to dart across several lanes to take that I-99 exit, probably either confused, distracted, or trying to avoid the bottleneck stop and go further ahead at the I-5 exit on a whim.
22blades October 18, 2025 (6:11 am)

Excessive speed exceeding the limits of tire adhesion, insufficient space in front for reaction time, Too fast, too close.

Michael Nagan October 17, 2025 (9:59 am)

1st S bridge open at same time. No exit from W Seattle!

Bridgeless October 17, 2025 (10:13 am)

I think it’s a peninsula with exits to the south.
Bill#1 October 17, 2025 (12:23 pm)

I miss the days when we had our own drawbridge! — like Ballard and Fremont!

Hammer in Hand October 17, 2025 (10:10 am)

It happens because of drivers not slowing down and everyone has the “get out of my way” mentality Likely the semi got cut off and paid the pricebut how does a truck and trailer j knife going up hill. We need to know the rest of the story

Derp October 17, 2025 (10:51 am)

The wreck is in the east bound lanes and it is going down hill, not up.
- WSB October 17, 2025 (11:02 am)
  
  There were two, as reported and shown, one on each side, almost the same spot. Followup information on crashes is close to impossible to get; there’s a database that catalogs them but quite some lag time is involved.

Susan Stanford October 17, 2025 (10:54 am)

Oh give it a rest. Stuff happens.

TreeHouse October 17, 2025 (11:12 am)

I’m sure both drivers were driving the speed limit. /s

WiseWoman October 17, 2025 (11:37 am)

The bridge is wet and slippery after days of cold and sunshine and dropped temperatures. Black ice forms on the bridge as well (not todays incident but will into winter). The oil slicks and bad maintenance and drivers hurrying or not paying attention these things happen.

wetone October 17, 2025 (11:44 am)

Maybe diesel or oil spilling from first (Big Rig) incident, with the added wet rainy weather contaminating the roadway surface causing more issues ????

Shadowtripper October 17, 2025 (1:18 pm)

Good thing cameras provide us with valuable traffic information.

IDC9 October 17, 2025 (3:42 pm)

Traffic cameras are essential for understanding what is really happening on the roads in real time. Maps are great, but cameras offer important info that maps can’t necessarily provide, such as which lane is closed at an accident scene. Traffic cameras should be installed along every major roadway (I don’t see a need for them on side streets) in our region, with enough coverage so that every mile is roadway is covered.

GH October 17, 2025 (1:39 pm)

Just wanna put a pin in this one for the “actually more busses would be just as good as building light rail” crowd.

WS Urbanist October 17, 2025 (2:21 pm)

My thoughts exactly
Kyle October 17, 2025 (3:33 pm)

I took the bus this morning and the bus easily just merged around at the makeshift merge point. Maybe a couple minutes longer than the same as normal rush hour. I do think you’d have more pins due to sound transit service disruptions than an accident like this happening.
IDC9 October 17, 2025 (3:43 pm)

Days like this do make the case for building light rail. No doubt about it.
Mellow Kitty October 17, 2025 (4:43 pm)

Metro has pre-planned reroutes. You can’t reroute the light rail track. I get near daily texts telling me one, or the other or both lines are not operating, or that a station is closed.
- IDC9 October 19, 2025 (12:35 am)
  
  The light rail system does seem to have more than its share of sudden shutdowns.

Seattlite October 17, 2025 (3:50 pm)

Common Sense RULES when driving any type of vehicle.

Admiral Nelson October 18, 2025 (9:17 am)

A day late for this, but the accident with the red Semi happened first. I drove by it on the other side of the bridge before the second accident. At that time there were police on scene but they were only blocking the center two lanes and traffic was still getting by the semi.The westbound lanes were just starting to slow from gawkers, but not to the point where I would have expected an accident.Side observation, the jackknifed trailer behind the white pickup looks improperly loaded. The weight is too far back. May have been a contributing factor there…

Sorry, comment time is over.