FOLLOWUP: SDOT says its work at ‘the curve’ is done, for now

SDOT sent that photo as part of a reply to our question about the status of the additions it promised at “the curve” toward the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge, a location that’s seen more than a few crashes. The department says its crews have finished installing what it told us about two weeks ago – “curve warning signs, and raised pavement markers to enhance visibility for approaching drivers.” SDOT says they’re still evaluating additional action, including “reflective markings on the existing guardrail” and “either grinding the top layer of pavement or installing a high-friction surface treatment.” We’ll continue following up.

Dave January 15, 2026 (1:19 pm)

Not expeditiously fixing a known safety problem is — negligence.

Derp January 15, 2026 (5:16 pm)

People need to slow down. If it was a huge problem, there would be wrecks all day long.
Julian January 15, 2026 (7:50 pm)

Good thing it’s not a safety problem. Know what actually is negligence? Speeding, driving too fast for the conditions, and not maintaining your tires, resulting in an accident. It’s the only reason these accidents happen.
- Andrew M. January 16, 2026 (1:23 pm)
  
  And yet maybe, if they keep happening in the same spot, we, as a society, can come together to make that spot safer for everyone. No person is an island.
K to the F January 17, 2026 (6:12 am)

I’ll keep the counter up juuuust in case. https://curvycrashes.com/

Actualperson January 15, 2026 (1:35 pm)

If they’d installed the high friction surface in the first place none of the spinouts would have happened. But, in addition SDOT is obviously thinking that nobody realized there is a curve here so spending money on putting these arrows in fulfills their zero vision…oops vision zero.

Dp January 15, 2026 (2:35 pm)

It won’t be any different. People just need to slow down.
- WSzombie January 15, 2026 (5:40 pm)
  
  Thread because WSB has a post size limit. 1/?
  
  Oh god, not this crap again. All the “just slow down” people need to stay out of the conversation; you’re hindering any improvements by trivializing the real issue and how it’s a multitude of factors and not just “going too fast”.
  
  I’ll use actual information to draw it out for everyone. There are two curves on westbound West Seattle bridge. Nearly identical curve angles. One has a “slippery when wet” sign and suggested speed and the other has no warning, but a speed limit adjustment when entering into West Seattle. The speed limit sign is place AT the curve, and without a “slippery road” sign. Same angle, same road, but no sign and no accidents.
  - Derp January 16, 2026 (7:57 am)
    
    Prerolls need to slow down. What you are telling them is, that out is ok to speed. I drive West Seattle all the time. I drive 30 in a 25 and still have people tail gate me all over. I do it on purpose so maybe people get the hint. But no.
- WSzombie January 15, 2026 (5:47 pm)
  
  87.4* curve and the west end of the West Seattle bridge.
- WSzombie January 15, 2026 (5:48 pm)
  
  So why would there not be any accidents when there isn’t a
  “slippery road” sign? Are we to assume that people slowed down long
  before the speed limit sign, but ignored the “slippery road” placed
  100+ feet before where the accidents continually happen? That seems like a
  stretch.
  
  Now for those who want to debunk the “it’s not the
  road” claims.
  
  Why are the accidents only going westbound, UP the hill? Why
  aren’t there any going downhill? There’s a similar “slippery road”
  sign on both sides. Should we just assume that people abide by the sign’s
  suggested speed while going downhill (east), but dismiss the sign while going
  westbound? That doesn’t make any sense.
  - Julian January 16, 2026 (12:19 pm)
    
    I think there are more Westbound accidents because people are more inclined to be driving faster when getting off the freeway than coming from the surface neighborhood streets. There’s also considerably less time to build up speed from the Fauntleroy/35th intersection to the curve. By the way, you can’t debunk something by asking questions. That just proves you don’t know what you’re talking about. You have to state facts that logically lead to your conclusion.
- WSzombie January 15, 2026 (5:49 pm)
  - Sam January 16, 2026 (8:22 am)
    
    What are those red arrows? Do they indicate where drivers should slow down?
Oakley34 January 15, 2026 (2:57 pm)

It’s user error. Slow down.

Watertowerjim January 15, 2026 (1:51 pm)

I’m guessing that no matter how much signage is installed or yelling to “just slow down” is done on the blog that accidents will continue. Eventually the grinding option/new surface will need to be done. Not quite sure what the hesitation is all about, but let’s just hope no one dies in the interim.

WS mama January 15, 2026 (2:24 pm)

I definitely think some pavement etching similar to what they put between yellow lines would be helpful. Nothing really more they can do, people fly up and down that hill going 20+ over the speed limit.

l January 15, 2026 (3:04 pm)

The friction modification is what’s needed. The spot that causes all of these crashes is the literal apex of the corner when the friction of the road suddenly gets cut in half in the rain. It’s negligent road design. I’ve felt it in multiple cars — you’re literally fine and then your rear wheels cut out as the pavement surface goes from sticky to glass. Yes, drivers should be slower. Having a mariokart game dynamic is not the way to encourage that.

fafo January 15, 2026 (3:26 pm)

Cute how it’s the same folks screaming “just comply” regarding ICE brutality that are upset WSDOT won’t spend money to “fix” a road that only folks going 20+ over the speed limit are driving off of. Just comply with the posted speed limit, and place blame where it’s due- on the folks recklessly speeding.

Adam January 15, 2026 (4:01 pm)

I’ve never seen anyone talk about ICE and the curve in the same convo. Ever. You’re projecting your clear partisanship.
flimflam January 15, 2026 (5:02 pm)

Ooof I hope you didn’t hurt yourself making an odd stretch like that.
Lisa January 15, 2026 (9:08 pm)

How do you know this? What an odd connection you’re making.

bdawg January 15, 2026 (3:30 pm)

What a joke. The issue isn’t people not seeing the curve. This is actually pretty comical. There’s a traction issue in this spot. People saying to slow down on a blog won’t change anything. WDOT repairing the surface with better friction points will.

Mike January 15, 2026 (3:35 pm)

Let’s just embrace the infamy of the curve and have the dancing log children hold bullseyes.

Ferns January 15, 2026 (3:39 pm)

Just re-grade it and install the friction surface already. This is gotta be costing more in damages to all of the people in accidents. It’s a problem statistically. How many other curves experience this many problems? It’s THIS one. THIS area of pavement particularly when wet. These drivers drive on other curves and don’t crash. Let’s do the smart thing, not the stubborn thing and make THIS curve easy to avoid crashing on for everyone. Not just those willing to go very far below the speed limit or in perfect weather or in a front wheel or all-wheel-drive vehicle or who are lucky or have new tires.

abovealki January 15, 2026 (4:12 pm)

Where does Rob Saka stand on this issue? After all, he’s the chair of the transportation committee. It seems that if he’s paying attention to this district matter, all he has to do is lean on SDOT a bit.

scrimblescrumble January 16, 2026 (9:29 am)

Laughable to imagine Rob Saka standing for anything, other than his own petty grievances and useless/harmful pet projects.

DRW January 15, 2026 (4:57 pm)

Ill test it out next rain storm!

Rob January 15, 2026 (5:05 pm)

Hey a sign an a little paint that will fix it.

wetone January 15, 2026 (5:36 pm)

What SDOT has done here on this curve is same as elsewhere around Alki area with the speed bumps, bollards and signage. Results have been nil, just a waste of tax dollars………Nothing gets fixed from SDOT anymore until someone gets hurt or worse then sues……. sad times.

Beez January 15, 2026 (6:14 pm)

I’m fully in the “you can’t flip your car if you’re driving slow” camp, but at this point I hope they redo the pavement just so we can settle this and see who’s right once and for all.

Hammer in Hand January 15, 2026 (9:14 pm)

Just slow downi I don’t not want to have the roadway shut done for 6months while they resurface or Add compound to the existing road surface. I have NEVER once in May 55 years of driving that area felt out of control. It’s the driving habits and attitude of “get out of my way” in any weather that is the primary cause of those wrecks. Just slow down

bill January 15, 2026 (7:54 pm)

Fix one problem, create another. If the curve’s surface is upgraded we will start seeing rear-ending crashes in the lineup at 35th. I prefer the excessive speeders get selectively removed at Darwin’s corner.

22blades January 15, 2026 (8:12 pm)

Can anybody really explain what a “friction surface” is? That stretch is already grooved; a method used on runways handling 800,000 lbs aircraft rejecting a takeoff at 200 mph. Stopping distance is an exponential to speed. We already mandated a dumb fix for lousy drivers in one snowstorm: salt to rust our cars away. Tokyo uses glass infused & porous pavements that do nothing for speed.

Actualperson January 16, 2026 (5:30 am)

22blades. Check out the surface on the Charleston hill between 48th and 47th. Check out Genesee west of Avalon. Those are the friction surfaces that would solve the traction issue.
K January 16, 2026 (6:06 am)

Drive along 107th in White Center, going westbound from 22nd to 26th, where it curves and becomes 106th headed to Shorewood grocery. They added a friction surface there after years of crashes and it has helped a lot. It’s a different surface texture, not grooves. Grooves are for directing water, so they’re not the best solution for every location.

Bobby McGee January 15, 2026 (9:24 pm)

Ohh, I see now. The road turns there! That should help

Little One January 15, 2026 (9:52 pm)

Guess we can alway see if these fixes work. Also, is there spam happening in the comments or are people just not aware and didn’t read that this is SDOT right of way?

B January 15, 2026 (10:50 pm)

I think filling in the dips in the road at the end of the curve is just as important, if not more important, than making the driving surface consistent. When vehicles drive through those dips, the front end is going to rise up and shift weight off of the tires briefly. Less weight = less friction which potentially triggers a spinout.

Greystreet January 16, 2026 (6:52 am)

I’m an aggressive driver, I’ll admit to it; I’m from the East Coast where we drive with a purpose and don’t camp in the left lane, but I digress. I turn into an *absolute* sloth in the rain because I wrecked my car in the rain as a teenager, on a similar curve situation in my hometown (PA). I have taken this curve at 20mph or less and still felt my back tires spin out and lose traction (even when new because I keep my tires up to date to address an above comment). If it is raining, this curve is dangerous/hopefully never deadly, end of story. While speed is a factor, can we please all stop ignoring that it is ALSO a road surface factor.

Canton January 16, 2026 (7:50 am)

Maybe relocating the 2 million dollar curby to the curve shoulder will help??

Jake January 16, 2026 (8:51 am)

I use this 4 days a week and it is seriously so dangerous. Many of you do not care about the lives of others. I see you riding my rear bumper and flashing and honking to get me to let you pass when there’s a full stop 30 feet ahead. It’s so ridiculous and I am tired of it. It is near daily. I am going to start using AI on my dash cam to pick up multi offenders and compile footage.

CaptAdmiral January 16, 2026 (8:59 am)

Doing everything but solving the problem. Sounds like SDOT.

Shadowtripper January 16, 2026 (9:03 am)

Speed cameras on bridge would solve the problem.

Mickymse January 16, 2026 (9:35 am)

Whether or not speeding is the ONLY contributor to this problem, why exactly do so many commenters who disagree feel the need to point out that the legal speed limit is higher than the 30 MPH warning sign? Or never mention that they’re going the posted speed limit—or less—when they say they don’t speed there? Or insist that we should spend thousands of taxpayer dollars to bank the curve or otherwise adjust the roadway so that you can continue to drive “safely” at your faster speeds? We have so many transit and transportation needs in this city, and I am getting so tired of wasting millions of dollars to continually alter our roadways because a minority of drivers can’t simply follow the laws that are already on the books. And I agree with other posters, there sure seems to be a nexus between folks who want to speed everywhere and not follow these “draconian” driving laws and people who want the laws to be applied strongly against homeless encampments or shoplifters or anyone else and taxes to not be wasted on some bus lane or other City program they don’t use.

John January 16, 2026 (10:32 am)

We are lucky to have Councilmember Saka as Chair of the STEPS Committee. He has done solid work on transportation issues these past two years.

WS Res January 16, 2026 (4:38 pm)

Hi Rob! Welcome to the WS Blog Comments!

$DOT priorities January 16, 2026 (11:56 am)

I have to laugh/cringe when I think about all the time, studies, outreach, surveys, and money that went into SDOT’s “Healthy Street” project down on Alki, where to my knowledge there was no history of constantly-occurring accidents. I know the residents on that street sometimes had issues with noise and street racing but I would think the problems with the curve have impacted many more people on the peninsula, and most of us probably aren’t waterfront homeowners.

jw January 17, 2026 (11:00 am)

Councilmember Saka is all about potholes and timing & percentage of getting them fixed. If potholes were on the bridge he would be out there with SDOT fixing them.