No camera in the area so we don’t have a visual, but a driver is reported to have gone off the road toward the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge a short time ago and hit the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign. We’re mostly just noting this one for the record, as SFD upon arrival noted that no one was hurt and the crashed vehicle – reported to be a pickup truck – was out of the flow of traffic.
Thank you for reporting on this. Maybe one day SDOT will actually address this issue. I fear it won’t happen until someone gets seriously injured.
What?
There have been multiple days with heavy rain after dry periods with no accidents at the usual spots.
Check the reports on WSB.
The majority of recent accidents on the bridge and ‘West Seattle freeway’ have not occurred at the “faulty” areas like this turn and the transition from 99.
Another real problem with the bridge is heading west in area over bridge hump when afternoon sun is so bright can blind some drivers, especially older people with sight probs. I need dark sunglasses and visor to see well…
Considering all the cover lots of commenters here are giving SDOT there’s no incentive to finish the paving job they started. They’re getting lots of cover for their screwup.
It should be addressed by those that drive too darn fast- just slow the heck down !
Yes, we know. People yelling on the WSB for people to just slow down isn’t working. Believe it or not – not everyone reads this. Fix it.
Maybe address it by having traffic squad write ticket that would also help with the budget as there would be a lot of them
Darwin’s curve claims another. I personally thought it would happen a day or two ago with all the rain we’ve had.
I laughed out loud at “Darwin’s Curve.” Someone needs to make a sign and plop it in the grass on that corner.
Forever named Darwin’s Curve, I love it! I’ve driven it daily for 20+ years (rear wheel drive minivan) and yes the pavement is funky but I’ve had ZERO problems driving the speed limit when it’s dry (sometimes +5 or so) and 30 around the curve when it’s wet (there’s a reason that sign is there). Speeding, especially when the pavement is wet, IS the issue. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that there are near zero conversations about this during long stretches of dry weather. It’s also no secret speeding is a huge problem across the bridge – it’s gotten worse since the pandemic. Going across the bridge I’m regularly passed by cars going 55, quite often by cars going 60+, and at least one going 70+….only to catch up with them at the red light on 35th (ROFL). No imagination required to guess the speed around the curve for the 60+ crowd.
SDOT should put a sign up in the uphill incline before it swerves left that says in big letters “SLOW DOWN”.
The truck is now sitting in the grass next to the creepy log children.
When WSB did a ride along with SPD the officer said they call them “the dancing people”
He is a stand-up guy! https://westseattleblog.com/2011/06/video-a-ride-with-the-aggressive-drivers-response-team/
That entire landscape and its ”art” embellishments are creepy. The sign, very uninspired. And a distraction.
OK I feel so seen that I am not the only one, like, what am I missing 😂 they are SO creepy
Pick-ups should carry weight in their beds. Four sand bags will give you 240 pounds over the rear axle. It makes a world of difference. Plus it’s wise to follow posted speed limits.
I have lived in W Seattle for 49 years, and probably have driven thru that curve around 3000 times. I have never slipped or slid or felt at risk on that curve. Slow down. Observe the speed limit.
@Mike What do you drive? I’m assuming something front wheel drive, low torque, probably a four door sedan or subcompact like a Mini. That’s why you’ve never had issues on that corner.
I have driven that curve on several occasions WHEN DOING THE SPEED LIMIT and still slid. So please don’t assume it’s always the driver at fault. It’s a known issue and a future tragedy if not fixed.
The “Speed Limit” is just that,
the fastest one should drive under ideal conditions.
Linda was obviously driving too fast for the conditions.
If Linda has repeated sliding, she should check her vehicle, tires or driving habits.
I too have traversed WestSeattle east and west for the entire life of the West Seattle Bridge @ Freeway (41 years).
If and when I do loose it on this road, it will be my fault for going too fast for the conditions, not a fault of SDOT.
Same. Any sort of acceleration through the corner with cause your vehicle to slip in wet conditions. Even driving an AWD sedan with good tires. A simple fix (adding grooves or a more prominent slow down sign) could fix this issue. It’s disappointing to see people post blaming the driver. “Bad outcomes happen to careless people” type of thinking, and defending the city and not the individual when the blame is shared, then some form of “I would have done this” or “that never happens to me bc I’m smarter or more aware for these reasons…”If it’s dark, raining, it’s your first time visiting West Seattle so you’re unaware of the slick corner. Maybe you’re driving a RWD vehicle and trying to keep pace with traffic. Then you slide out. Let’s try and help our neighbors and community.
The person behind the wheel is always at faultdrive the conditionschoices vs consequences
It’s unfortunate you think that way. Regardless, why would you personally not want that corner fixed? It would personally benefit you by lowering insurance rates and would prevent accidents and thus traffic on the bridge. The people crashing are not reckless highschool speed racers. They are probably good people who made a mistake. Why punish them for going 5mph above what you safely drive? Really disappointed in a select few people in this comment thread.
There is a slight drop, ever so slight, yet at driving speed it feels like a bump and that is where the tires loose just a bit of traction. It is there and that is the problem. Amazing that SDOT has no solution or concerns.
If those wee nearly imperceptible undulations were actually the problem there would be hundreds of crashes daily across the city where the pavement is far worse.
I have lived in WS for nearly 50 years too and have slipped while doing less than the speed limit. The current state of that section of road has not been that way for 50 years so the longevity of your residency is irrelevant. The issues at this curve have been discussed at length and there’s enough experience to demonstrate the issue is the road, no matter how many times others want to blame speeding. The fact that you yourself have not had the experience of many others does not somehow prove everyone else’s experience didn’t happen. There has been zero evidence anyone has been speeding when they slipped, slid, or crashed but plenty of evidence of the opposite. Also, this may, MAY, be the only crash in the last few days but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been incidents there that went unreported and most do.
Oh give us a break. If the city installs radar on the curve recording actual speeds you will claim the equipment is faulty. Every honest driver knows everyone speeds on that curve. The speed limit is no guarantee of safety in less than ideal conditions. So you’ve slipped on that curve? Have you modified your driving behavior?
The causes people are arguing back and forth about regarding this stretch of road are not mutually exclusive.
This is the issue when a society seeks to assign singular blame as its only remedy. You get nowhere, slowly.
I drive this curve several times a day, dozens even, driving 5-8 mph and my car flies into the roof of Buddha Ruska every time!
Regardless of the many contributing factors to these crashes, the city knows there is a problem and will be sued for negligence one day. Fix it. It will cost less!
People are bickering that this needs to be fixed or there’s nothing to fix, or even suggesting more warnings, but do you think we could get SDOT to put a crash counter at the curve? “There have been ## crashes at Darwin’s Curve since December 2025” (Nice one George).
The other day I drove this stretch of road on a wet night and as I started the curve toward the end where the dancing statues are next to the ‘welcome to west Seattle’ sign (call it “the sign”). I looked close and saw and slightly felt the problem. It’s the old surface right after the new surface. There are two surfaces. One is newer and was recently created. That’s the road resurfacing that’s been done to the east of the curve. It ends just before the sign. It connects to the old surface, right near the sign. The old surface, having been there a long time in a place where a lot of friction happens from people driving fast around a curve going uphill, is worn. The old surface you’ll see has lots of rocks embedded in the concrete . Having been there a long time, those rocks in the concrete have been worn flat – which becomes pretty slick in rain. But you have to be going over 35 or 40 to start feeling it. Any faster, with tread loss, you start to lose traction around that curve. Today’s cars and trucks are designed to go fast quietly, with great insulation, so it’s easy to go 50 without realizing how fast that really is. So that’s common enough that lots of people slide over there. Thankfully haven’t recalled a death yet, but it easily could happen any day especially with water or snow on the surface. All they need to do is resurface the rest of the road another hundred or so feet to the west toward the junction so it’s uniform and eliminates that old worn surface. It even is a bit deceptive, because you expect that nicely resurfaced road to continue west, but it abruptly stops without warning where the sign is basically.Bottom line: once they resurface a bit more to the west should be fine. But you really can’t blame everything on driver error under these circumstances. Whoever is in charge of this road is not fixing a dangerous condition it created. Was silly to stop the resurfacing where they did. They need to fix this because it will happen again and again.
Cars just move too fast these days. I don’t think streets should be redesigned for speed – instead they should be designed to slow traffic. The Bridge and causeway are not interstate highways , yet people drive them both as if they were. Let the sign and the log children welcome the Darwin Award winners, while the rest of us get home slowly and safely.
The expansion joints and multiple types of roadway surfaces are the problems. The old surface has a lot of exposed large worn rock, (surface is same as polished rock) from the many years of being driven on. The expansion joints are not level and unload suspension of all vehicles, but really sensitive to trucks with no or little load. For those speeding, it really multiples the issues. The work done during closure is already showing signs of failure at expansion joints and can be seen with the asphalt patches. Old roadway surfaces should have been ground/grove’s as done on Charleston hill, when curve area was worked on. It would’ve helped with traction issues but only temporary as the old surface is just worn out. City of Seattle and SDOT have done little to maintain roadway and bridges for many years now and improvements and proper infrastructure needs are going to be much more complex and costly. Taxes have been raised for these needs but have disappeared before the real problems and priorities have been addressed……get ready for more taxes with more promises, maybe they’ll add some more speed bumps;) Happy Holidays
Speed humps right by the welcome to WS signage! Might as well climatize everyone to the hood. Happy Holidays from the reindeer!
Along the hill on Sylvan (winds past Home Depot and up to 35th SW) there are speed signs which flash your speed as you whiz by.. and cars aren’t going near the speeds the West Seattle ‘former Freeway’ now Bridge has. Maybe a few flashing signs and a speed gun around the curve with tickets for speeders? Even for those determined to speed, the financial motive (reminder;) might help.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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