(Reader photo sent by CJ, December 14)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Is it the drivers’ fault or the pavement’s fault? The discussion reignites almost every time we report a crash toward the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge, in the general area of the pullout near the two remaining “Walking on Logs” sculptures and the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign. The “drivers’ fault” faction says people are just driving too fast. The “pavement’s fault” faction blames an inconsistency in the road surface right in that spot.
(Reader photo sent by Mike, October 26)
We don’t have hard-and-fast data on crashes at this location – the SDOT collision map is neither comprehensive nor (location-wise) precise, and our archives are not necessarily comprehensive either, nor is publicly visible data: The SFD 911 log will show a collision only if there was a dispatch for injuries, and the SPD police-data map if the crash was reported by a 911 caller. Plus, there’s no functioning traffic camera in that spot, so for visuals, we’re reliant on reader photos. But our archives alone show more than a dozen mentions of crashes in that spot just this year.
(Reader photo, October 24)
Back in February, we sought and reported on SDOT’s response to our inquiry about whether any action was planned regarding this area. A department spokesperson said at that time that they planned “to add safety enhancements to encourage drivers to approach the curve at a safer speed” and then might evaluate pavement work if that didn’t help. The timeline given was “this year.”
(Reader photo, OMarch 24)
So now we’re at the end of “this year.” After more crashes in mid-December, we asked SDOT for an update. Here’s how they responded this time:
Based on recent crash activity and additional review, we will be installing two near-term safety enhancements to improve driver awareness of the curve:
-curve warning signs, and
-raised pavement markers to enhance visibility for approaching drivers.The work orders have been issued.
This represents a slight change from what was discussed earlier this year. While reflective markings on the existing guardrail were previously mentioned as a potential third treatment, that option is still under internal evaluation.
As we shared in February, our pavement engineers and Vision Zero team have also been evaluating longer-term solutions to improve traction in this area, including either grinding the top layer of pavement or installing a high-friction surface treatment. Those options remain under consideration and would need to be scheduled further out, taking into account resources, weather, crew availability, and traffic impacts.
We’ll continue to monitor conditions at this location and assess whether additional measures are recommended.
Some pavement work was done in that area during the 2020-2022 West Seattle Bridge closure, as we reported, and showed, in this story about a visit to the work zone toward the end of bridge-repair work.
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