UPDATE: Why eastbound West Seattle Bridge traffic was stopped at Fauntleroy end

(Screengrab from 8:09 pm)

8:11 PM: This was supposed to be fairly quick but for some reason it’s taking crews a while to reposition a barrier near the Fauntleroy end of the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, and dozens of drivers are stuck waiting. If you have to head eastbound, get on the bridge another way.

8:15 PM: The dispatcher just told SPD that SDOT needs “traffic control” for another barrier fix closer to the bridge entrance at 35th; an officer replied, “Just as soon as this one gets figured out.” So avoid 35th/Fauntleroy entirely for a while.

8:19 PM: The live camera just east of 35th shows SDOT now blocking the inside eastbound lane but the others have reopened.

8:30 PM: Now they’re blocking all eastbound lanes again just past the Fauntleroy entrance, per police radio.

9:27 PM: Still blocked, per live view on traffic cameras.

10:34 PM: We’ve been checking the live feed every few minutes; it’s just reopened.

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy February 1, 2026 (8:21 pm)

Lots of bridge trouble tonight. Around 6 pm and accident happened on the ramp from 99 to the WSB. There was an ambulance, a fire truck, and a car facing the wrong way. We waited on the closed offramp for about 20 minutes before they let the bus through. Most were getting off and going across the lower bridge.

WSB February 1, 2026 (8:37 pm)

We had a separate story on that earlier.

Ms. Noem February 1, 2026 (10:46 pm)

So is the “why” because SDOT is repairing the barrier, or is traffic stopped because something happened before that and moved the barriers?

WSB February 1, 2026 (10:58 pm)

Because SDOT was repairing/repositioning the barriers. I don’t know yet if these were repairs/repositionings because of something that happened hours earlier, days earlier, or what, hoping to find out tomorrow as that was an extraordinarily long time for barrier work, compared to past instances.
- Cam February 3, 2026 (11:06 am)
  
  The barrier was jutting out halfway into the left lane, I’m surprised it didn’t cause any crashes.
  - WSB February 3, 2026 (11:43 am)
    
    Finally got the followup info from SDOT and writing that up now.

Sorry, comment time is over.