7:42 PM: Thanks for the tips. We don’t yet know why, but the west end of the West Seattle Bridge is closed – texters report both ways, though the camera only shows a crew blocking it a short distance past the Fauntleroy entrance to the eastbound bridge. No crashes on the SFD log… Updates to come.

8 PM: Open again.

(Photo from commenter)

10:42 AM: Emergency responders are headed toward what might be two separate crashes toward the end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge – one pickup truck reported to have hit a pole, another reported to have hit the median. If you’re headed this way, you might consider an alternate route, or exiting the bridge before you get to the last stretch.

10:45 AM: No injuries reported so far. But this may affect eastbound traffic too, which will have to be blocked off to reset the median barrier – an SDOT crew is being summoned for that.

11:18 AM: Currently “one lane blocked eastbound and one blocked westbound,” police have told dispatch. And eastbound will be fully closed eastbound shortly for the barrier reset.

11:40 AM: Fully open again both ways.

(SDOT camera image from shortly after crash)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

That was the scene on the West Seattle Bridge on the early morning of March 22, 2023, when Delfino Lopez-Morales, now 37, killed two 18-year-olds – Riley Danard and Khalea Thoeuk. Prosecutors say Lopez-Morales was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes, under the influence of alcohol and THC, speeding up to 100 mph, when his pickup smashed into their car.

After pleading guilty in August to two felony counts of vehicular homicide and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving, today Lopez-Morales – now 37 – was sentenced by King County Superior Court Judge Angela Kaake, before a full courtroom downtown. We watched the hearing via Zoom.

Senior deputy prosecutor Adam Eucker began by saying the prosecution was recommending 148 months (just over 12 years) – the high end of the sentencing range for the felonies, plus a year for the misdemeanor, calling the crash deaths “incredibly tragic. … This was an incredibly violent collision, and two young lives were lost …” They called witnesses from the victims’ families. One of Riley’s relatives, Dave Johnson, spoke of the “lost potential” and how this will affect both families “for the rest of their lives.”

(Photo via GoFundMe)

Riley’s grandmother spoke next, reading a statement from Riley’s mom, her daughter: “They were both young bright souls with their lives ahead of them …” She spoke of Riley’s photography and music skills, sense of humor, and work ethic. “He was always going out of his way to help others.” She talked about picking him up at places and saying “someday I won’t be picking you up, because you’ll be driving me … That day never came.” She also spoke about Khalea, Riley’s best friend, who’d known him since grade school, as “a ray of light.” The “pain of losing a child is unimaginable,” the mom’s statement continued, saying that she believes this should be treated as “first-degree murder. … As a grieving parent, all I ask for is justice for my son and his best friend.” She said – perhaps explaining her absence – that she was unable to stand the thought of being in the same courtroom as Riley and Khalea’s killer.

Riley’s older sister wept on the stand that she sees her brother in her dreams every night and then remembers he’s gone; she works in West Seattle and for so long could not cross the bridge without breaking down. “Because of the deadly actions of a random drunk driver, Riley and Khalea will never get to do anything again. … They were killed for nothing and we are left here trying to pick up the pieces.” His other sister said she is heartbroken that she’ll never see his face or hear his laugh again. She spoke of the final moments she shared with her brother on his birthday hours before he was killed. “The last words we said to each other were ‘I love you’.” She pleaded for a long sentence.

Then Khalea’s family and friends spoke, first an aunt, who spoke on behalf of her mom: “My soul’s been shattered into a million pieces … The moment I was told over the phone that (Khalea was dead … everything) went dark, cold, and empty. … She had plans for her future that were cruelly extinguished in an instant. (She did) not get to graduate high school or start college. … The ripple effects of this tragedy” have affected far more than the family, she said, saying it’s vital that people understand the ramification of decisions to use alcohol or drugs and get behind the family.”

(Photo via GoFundMe)

A friend of both victims asked, “Why were their lives cut short?” while others are still there. She spoke of seeing Khalea everywhere she goes, everything she does. She spoke of going to Riley’s grave, “watching the wind rustle your windchime.” His belongings remain untouched in his room. She spoke of petty complaints about life, “the most trivial details …. only to realize that some of these things I complain about, they never had a chance to experience.” She mentioned that although the charges were dismissed, Lopez-Morales had been caught driving under the influence before, and “it’s clear he has no remorse.”

Another friend sent a letter that was read, speaking of how Khalea stayed with friends’ families because her family had moved to Whidbey Island but she wanted to finish out the year at her high school. She said it could have been her in the car too, “any other day it would have been.” She spoke of the pain of telling others what had happened, and the pain of never getting to share milestones in life with them. “They will never get to move past 18. … All it took was one split-second to change the trajectory of their life and everyone around them.”

The next friend of both victims said both were passionate, smart, and driven, with a future. She still wears Riley’s shirt to bed, and talks to both of them. She said she has been diagnosed with a trauma-processing disorder since their deaths and has had “countless functional seizures” that have affected her studies, and her entire life. The weight of the grief and the weight of her disability both weigh unimaginably heavily on her. “I don’t know if this outcome will bring justice …” she said, acknowledging that what Lopez-Morales did weighs heavily on his family too. She implored the judge to “consider the circumstances” in which the crash happened. “It shouldn’t be a privilege to have known them, but a privilege to watch them grow.”

Another family friend: “The pain resonates through our entire community, not only Snohomish, but also West Seattle. … A little over two weeks ago, Khalea should have been celebrating her 20th birthday. … Riley never got to spend a single day as an adult.” She shared photos taken when she and another family member went to the tow yard to identify the vehicle. “Nothing could have prepared me for the devastating reality of that wreckage … knowing that people we loved died that way.” She read statements from other community members who could not attend. That included one who saw what they believe was Lopez-Morales driving recklessly before the crash, calling 911 and being told others had called. They followed him for about seven minutes in hope of getting him off the road but he was going too fast and lost him. 911 told her that police were out looking for them. Then the next morning she read about the crash and her heart sank. “It breaks my heart to know they were coming to enjoy the beautiful beachfront that West Seattle has to offer … These were not merely statistics. They were Khalea and Riley.”

Yet another friend said “it goes against everything sacred,” to outlive a child. She read an aunt’s statement: “In an instant our world was turned upside down. … Each moment serves as a reminder of their absence. … We plead for awareness, for the ability to change.” She asked that the judge remember the victims had no choice, while the offender did. “We are here to influence change and to ask you to impose the heaviest sentence the law allows.”

Another aunt of Khalea’s said the “depth of our agony is unimaginable .. we are haunted by an emptiness” and a loss that they feel acutely daily. “This isn’t just grief, it’s a permanent wound for us all.” She lamented the “preventable cruelty of it all” and thanked the judge for listening to the “raw pain.”

She was the last prosecution speaker, and a slideshow set to music was then played. (This wasn’t shown on the video feed, so we can’t describe it.) Then, the courtroom went on break. The judge read more letters during the break, and turned it over to the defense after gaveling court back to order.

Lopez-Morales’s lawyer said he agreed that DUI is a scourge and hopes that at least one person will think twice about this sort of “horrible decision” after seeing and hearing about the devastation it caused in his case. He said his client does have remorse, guilt, and regret. Would it have been justice for him to die in the crash too? That would have been easier than dealing with the ramifications of the crash for the rest of his life. He contended that a harsher sentence would not be more validating of the victims’ lives – “you can’t quantify a human life … Sentencing is not about putting a value on a human life.” He asked for 102 months and noted that will be all the more impactful because Lopez-Morales has health issues (he’s in a wheelchair) including cerebral palsy. He has no criminal-conviction history, it was noted. He contended that his client “is not the worst of the worst.” He also said Lopez-Morales’s injuries left him with no memories of what happened.

He read a statement from the defendant’s nephew, saying he “always showed up to help me” throughout his life and that he talks almost daily with Lopez-Morales by phone about “bettering themselves.” That nephew then rose to speak, saying his uncle “is human” and he wanted the families of the victims to know that. “I’m so sorry for all the loss that Delfino caused.”

A niece-in-law spoke next, saying she “had a different respect for him” as he lived his life as a disabled man (the nephew had said the defendant was born with cerebral palsy). She said she hoped the sentencing would go “for the fairness of everyone here.”

His sister then spoke, talking about their mother’s death at 44 and the two siblings getting “smuggled into this country” afterward, with her responsible for caring for him until she became a teenage mother. “There’s nothing I can say or do to repair all the damage” of what he did that night, she said. “My brother is not a bad person … he made a terrible, terrible choice.”

Next was Lopez-Morales’s opportunity to speak. He said he wanted to apologize – “I’m very very sorry for my intoxication and really sorry … for what I did in that situation. I’m very sorry to the families … Khalea’s and Riley’s families .. if I could, I would have chosen my life to perish instead of their life. … That wasn’t my intention of hurting anybody… I would like to say sorry again though ‘sorry’ won’t bring them back.’ He spoke haltingly and through sobs and repeated regret for what he called “my nonsense of being intoxicated … my stupidness.”

The judge then spoke. “These types of cases are difficult for everyone involved.” She spoke about the two young victims, “taken (away) far too soon” and about the effects on the families. She also acknowledged the “mitigating factors” raised by the defense. “This is not an intentional crime – it is a reckless crime.” But he chose to drink and take drugs and get into a vehicle, driving “for miles” and hitting other cars, with other cars “honking at you, flashing their lights,” and yet he did not stop. “By the time you encountered Riley and Khalea, they could not get out of the way.” While “bad decisions do not make a bad person,” he made a “devastatingly poor choice.”

She then gave the sentence the prosecution had requested – 148 months (12 years and 4 months), plus 18 months of community custody (probation). He’s already served some of that time, having been in jail for almost a year and a half.

1:42 PM: Avoid the westbound west end of the West Seattle Bridge for a while – another crash reported.

1:55 PM: From beneath the bridge at south end of Admiral, you can see traffic moving, slowly. Radio traffic indicates it’s a flipped vehicle.

2:01 PM: Thanks to Kyle Pommer for the photo.

2:27 PM: Commenter Jenny reports all lanes have reopened. We’re checking with SFD on injuries.

(Photo sent by Casey)

2:39 PM: SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty tells us, “The occupant of the vehicle got out on their own. Crews assessed an approximately 24-year-old man but no injuries were reported. No transport.”

(Screenshot from SDOT camera)

According to emergency-radio traffic, there are two crashes on the West Seattle Bridge right now – including five cars on the westbound side. They’re blocking off the eastbound entrance just past 35th/Fauntleroy, and some cars stuck behind a fire engine are turning around to go back the wrong way. So avoid the southwest end of the bridge for a while. No word of any major injuries.

2:57 PM: Police and fire are responding to a reported pickup spinout/crash near the Admiral exit on the westbound West Seattle Bridge. No details yet on injuries or traffic effects.

4:32 PM: SFD tells us, “Crews evaluated a 22-year-old man who reported no injuries.”

(Texted photo)

3:24 PM: Thanks to everyone who’s texted/emailed about that car fire toward the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge.

(Photo sent by Jackie)

Firefighters have since arrived. At least one passerby noted the driver was on scene. We’re checking on injuries.

(Video sent by Matt)
3:46 PM: A texter says traffic is moving again through that area.

5:45 PM: SFD confirms, no one was hurt.

3:20 PM: If you have to head to the eastbound bridge via Fauntleroy, wait a while or try a different access point further east; the Fauntleroy entrance is temporarily closed while SDOT crews rearrange barriers knocked into the eastbound lanes by an earlier westbound spinout. (The crash scene is clear, no injuries reported.)

3:26 PM: Crews got the job done quickly and the bridge entrance has reopened.

Tomorrow (Monday, September 23) a memorial gathering at MOHAI will bid farewell to Charley Royer, Seattle’s longest-serving mayor (1978-1991). Though he wasn’t a West Seattleite, he will forever be known here as the mayor who built the West Seattle Bridge, which fully opened in July 1984; its construction was no sure thing after the 1978 ship collision that took out its predecessor. As we did when his brother, former deputy mayor Bob Royer, died five years ago, we’re taking the occasion to bring this out of the video archives:

Charley Royer and Bob Royer both were part of that panel discussion 10 years ago in West Seattle, on the 30th anniversary of the high bridge’s dedication. It was part of a series of bridge-anniversary events presented by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, at the time led by historian/journalist/writer Clay Eals, who moderated. As Eals notes, “Charley was mired in the contentious issue of building a new bridge, and, of course, took the famous call late June 14, 1978, ‘the night the ship hit the span,’ and told the bridge tender, ‘Seize the ship!’ He also was instrumental in steering money from all levels of government (as was [former city councilmember] Jeanette Williams) to get the high bridge built.” If you don’t want to watch the whole thing, he recommends Charley’s comments at 43:33-49:23, 58:32-1:01:27, and 1:25:25-1:28:16 in the video. Meantime, Mr. Royer’s memorial gathering is set for 4 pm to 6 pm Monday at MOHAI, 800 Terry Ave. North.

(SDOT camera image from shortly after crash)

A year and a half after two 18-year-olds died when a wrong-way, high-speed DUI driver hit them on the West Seattle Bridge, their killer is awaiting sentencing. After a reader question today, we checked on the status of 37-year-old Delfino Lopez-Morales, charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving two and a half months after the crash, and discovered he pleaded guilty to all charges last month. He is scheduled to be sentenced in November for killing Khalea Thoeuk and Riley Danard, both from Snohomish County and on their way to Alki shortly after 12 am March 22, 2023, to celebrate Riley’s birthday, when Lopez-Morales hit them head-on going 100 mph. Three hours after the crash, he tested at a blood-alcohol level of .14, nearly twice the legal limit, and was shown to have recently consumed THC as well. He was in the hospital for weeks after the crash, and charges were filed before he was moved to jail. Case documents from his plea agreement say the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will recommend 11 years, 4 months in prison – the top of the standard sentencing range for vehicular homicide – followed by one year in jail for the reckless-driving count, plus 18 months probation. Documents say Lopez-Morales, who had been living with his disabled father in the Westwood area, was not licensed to drive; his record only shows a citation for driving without insurance in 2016; the pickup truck in which he hit the victims was borrowed from a friend. King County Superior Court Judge Angela Kaake will sentence him at 1 pm November 1.

8:53 AM: Thanks for the tips. SPD and SFD are arriving at the scene of what’s described as an “overturned truck” (added: on its side, according to first firefighters there) toward the west end of the westbound bridge. Updates to come.

8:59 AM: Police just told dispatch that they’re diverting traffic at the Admiral exit. They’ve also calling for a second SDOT crew because of a large fluid slick as well as jersey barriers pushed into the opposite direction of traffic (the first crew is helping divert traffic). Meantime, the truck has been described as a “late-model Ford pickup.”

9:08 AM: No word on injuries but all three originally dispatched SFD units have already cleared the scene, which indicates nothing major.

9:28 AM: Tow truck reported to have just arrived.

9:48 AM: Eastbound bridge will be briefly blocked while the jersey barrier is pushed back into place.

10:08 AM: Above is the truck involved in the crash as it was being towed off the bridge. Meantime, police have just reopened the eastbound bridge and expect to reopen the westbound side soon.

10:18 AM: Officers just told dispatch that westbound is open again too.

11:34 AM: SFD tells us the driver, a woman in her mid-40s, was assessed at the scene but didn’t need further treatment.

3:48 PM: Yet another crash of note on this rainy day – this one blocking all but one lane on the eastbound high bridge, so if you have to head that way, wait a while. No serious injuries reported.

3:57 PM: That cleared quickly – all lanes reopened.

(WSB file photo)

Back in February, we mentioned that work was ahead for the “salmon bone bridge” across Longfellow Creek in North Delridge. Now Seattle Public Utilities has announced that work is about to begin. As explained on the project page:

The Salmon Bone Bridge was designed by renowned Seattle-based artist Lorna Jordan and was installed in 1999 as part of the Longfellow Creek Habitat Improvement Project. The bridge was designed to invoke the skeletal structure of a fish and the deck was made from recycled cedar timbers arranged in a herringbone pattern. The Bridge is also known as the Adams Fish Bridge.

Since then, the timber deck has deteriorated and has become unsafe. As a result … SPU covered the deck with plywood and an anti-slip surface, which altered the bridge’s aesthetic. This project aims to honor the artist’s original vision while improving pedestrian safety by replacing the deck with materials designed for slip resistance and long service life.

After exploring several materials for deck replacement, SPU selected Cordeck Dots decking material. This weathering steel product is a long-lasting option that will mimic the visual appearance of the original deck.

SPU will replace the deck … The restored bridge will preserve the artist’s original design, but will be more durable and accessible, and safer, while requiring less maintenance.

The work will start in early August and will close the bridge for up to three months, according to this notice that SPU says will be circulated to neighbors starting next week.

5:23 AM: Thanks for the tips. The eastbound high bridge is closed right now because of a crash investigation. Police radio suggests this could last at least until after 6:30 am. (added) Archived SFD/SPD radio indicates this happened around 3:30 am near the 1st Avenue South exit and was described as a single-vehicle crash, a Tesla Model 3 from which one person needed to be extricated.

5:47 AM: A commenter and one of the few operating SDOT cameras in the area indicate that the closure is at the 99 overpass; you can get onto the bridge but you’ll be diverted onto NB 99.

6:10 AM: Added screengrab from SDOT camera looking west toward the crash scene and the 99 overpass and exit. The wrecked car, which is white, is partly visible.

6:53 AM: Officers just told dispatch that the bridge should reopen soon after SDOT finishes cleaning up the scene.

7:01 AM: All but one lane of the EB bridge has now fully reopened, We’ll update this story with whatever followup information we get later about injury/circumstances.

8:45 AM: Here’s the summary from SPD:

On Friday July 19, 2024, at 0326 hours a white Tesla was travelling at a high rate-of-speed eastbound on the West Seattle bridge. The vehicle failed to maintain its lane of travel and careened between the north and south cement barriers before coming to rest, quite a distance later. The 33-year-old male driver showed obvious signs of impairment and was placed under arrest. The 25-year-old female passenger suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. She was transported to Harborview Medical Center via Medic One. It was expected the adult male driver would be booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Vehicular Assault, pending medical evaluation by hospital staff.

Police have just reported finding a casing on the westbound West Seattle Bridge, before the Harbor exit, after a driver reported being shot while driving in that area this past hour. The victim is reported to have subsequently driven to Harborview Medical Center; we haven’t heard the extent of his injury, but officers told dispatch that the victim’s car has four bullet holes. They also say the victim described the other vehicle as an electric-blue Toyota Camry, possibly with a black roof. If you have any information on this, call 911.

11:54 PM: A crash on the westbound West Seattle Bridge is blocking most lanes near the Admiral Way exit. No injuries, according to SFD, so its units are clearing quickly, but police remain on scene and are arranging for at least one tow truck.

12:33 AM: Haven’t heard or seen an all-clear, but the live camera shows the bridge traffic flow moving normally.

12:49 AM: Not clear yet. Officers just told dispatch they’re temporarily diverting all WB traffic off the bridge at Admiral.

1:02 AM: Reopened, police just informed dispatch.

11:02 AM: As the screengrab from the West Seattle Bridge traffic camera shows, lanes are currently blocked on both sides of the West Seattle Bridge while crews clear away “debris” – apparently gravel – spilled on both sides, near 99. This isn’t the only trouble on that stretch of the bridge, which also saw a crash earlier, as noted in our morning traffic roundup.

11:10 AM: According to police radio, the gravel is from a truck that hit the barrier.

11:47 AM: Just checked the live camera; the cleanup continues.

12:09 PM: The cleanup has wrapped up and all lanes are open again.

7:17 AM: That’s a screenshot from a few minutes ago as the SDOT traffic camera at the crest of the West Seattle Bridge showed the first bicyclists crossing the bridge on the Emerald City Ride. Between now and 9 am, the riders, who started near the stadiums and are accessing the bridge via southbound 99, will head over the westbound bridge and onto Harbor Avenue to continue the ride around West Seattle. The ride is on the westbound lanes only; eastbound remains open to motorized traffic. After riding around Alki and down to Fauntleroy, they’ll head back through eastern West Seattle and via the regular path on the low bridge. (Here are ride details sent to riders.) Updates to come.

7:27 AM: That’s from our photographer along Harbor Avenue, as the post-bridge riders head north/west along the West Seattle waterfront.

(added) And some video:

Meantime, the SDOT camera at 1st/Dearborn just showed another wave heading onto the short closed stretch of southbound 99, which closes to riders at 8 am.

This is a ride, not a race, so departures are going in waves.

7:46 AM: Still crossing. Noticed a recumbent rider too.

Thanks to Debra Salazar Herbst for this view of riders on Alki Avenue:

8:10 AM: This is the first Emerald City Ride since 2019; previous rides have included other iconic roadways such as the Alaskan Way Viaduct pre-demolition. The riders, meanwhile, are down to a trickle; SDOT has turned the high-bridge camera to look eastward:

Unrelated to the ride, a car has stalled/broken down on the low bridge (thanks to Rose for the word on that) so access to the westbound low bridge is backed up.

8:27 AM: Watching the live camera pointed north/west on the high bridge again. A few stragglers are still crossing.

That was as of a few minutes ago. Now they’re picking up the cones, so it looks like the bridge part of the course has cleared.

8:35 AM: Down on the low bridge, some riders are headed back to the SODO start/finish line, via the regular path:

8:45 AM: Haven’t seen cars on the high bridge yet (15 minutes remain until the official preannounced “no more bridge access” cutoff).

8:51 AM: High bridge now reopened to motorized vehicles. We’ll check with Cascade later to see what the final registration total was for the ride.

ADDED 5:24 PM: Thanks to Allyne Armitage for rider’s-eye-view photos:

(Added: SDOT image)

2:58 PM: Thanks for the tips. A crash is blocking multiple lanes on the westbound bridge just west of 99.

3:44 PM: SDOT says the scene is clear.

4:25 PM: Listening back to archived radio exchanges, officers and firefighters at the scene reported the same thing as officers below – two people walked away from the crash. Police checked the plates and the car, registered to a West Seattle address, had not been reported stolen.

ORIGINAL MONDAY ANNOUNCEMENT: We received this Tuesday traffic alert from SDOT late today:

Tomorrow morning, the Seattle Department of Transportation’s urban forestry and signs and markings teams will be closing the westbound off-ramp to SW Admiral Way from the West Seattle High Bridge at around 9:30 a.m. This closure is necessary due to a broken limb that requires removal, although our team has already stabilized it earlier today.

Detour signage will be in place to guide drivers to SW Admiral Way. The designated detour route is as follows: continue on the West Seattle High Bridge onto Fauntleroy Way SW. Then, turn right onto SW Oregon St, followed by another right onto California Ave SW, which will lead you to SW Admiral Way.

They’re not sure yet how long the work will take.

TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: SDOT says the ramp should reopen by 3 pm.

(West Seattle Bridge cracks in March 2020, from sdotblog.seattle.gov)

This is a notable date in West Seattle history: Four years ago today, just before 3 pm on March 23, 2020, the city announced it would shut down the high-rise West Seattle Bridge indefinitely because of safety concerns, and did so a few hours later. (Here’s our as-it-happened report on the announcement.) The bridge didn’t reopen until two and a half years later, on September 17, 2022; a pivotal moment along the way was on November 19, 2020, when then-Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the bridge would be repaired, not replaced.

Looking ahead to today’s anniversary, we asked SDOT a few questions. When was the bridge last inspected? It got an in-person inspection back in January, responded SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson, and inspectors found “no notable new developments.” And it remains under continuous electronic monitoring, he adds: “There have not been any new developments since we published our one-year monitoring report this past September saying that the West Seattle Bridge remains safe and strong. The bridge is continuously monitored by an extensive and sophisticated structural-health monitoring system which allows us to detect subtle movements or any growth of existing cracks. This monitoring system runs 24/7 and automatically alerts engineers immediately of any issues that would require further inspection.” (You can read the September update here; it in turn links to this 10-page report.)

Next up, as we first reported earlier this week, is a big project for the bridge’s eastern half, the Spokane Street Viaduct, a separate structure that was not involved in the 2020-2022 closure: Resurfacing its eastbound (corrected: south) side. Bergerson says, “Construction will likely begin this summer and occur over several weekends. Once we select a contractor, we will work with them to schedule the exact dates and notify the public beforehand.” Since the project just went out to bid, it’ll be at least May before that happens.

New on the city’s bidding website: The project to resurface the eastbound lanes of the West Seattle Bridge’s eastern half, formally known as the Spokane Street Viaduct, has just gone out to bid.

(Framegrab from SDOT camera. Eastbound SSV at left, westbound at right)

Bidding opened this morning. SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson tells WSB, “This project will include repaving the eastbound lanes, as well as drainage improvements and bridge deck repair on the westbound lanes.” The city got a $5 million federal grant two years ago to help cover the cost. The (corrected) eastbound (south) side of the Spokane Street Viaduct is the older side, built in the ’40s; the westbound (north) side was built in the late ’00s/early ’10s. It was closed several times for repair work during the 2 1/2-year-long full closure of the rest of the West Seattle Bridge; pothole problems have persisted on both sides, and as SDOT described it in 2022, “The existing concrete deck overlay exhibits significant signs of ‘alligator skin’ cracking and damage.” As part of preparation for this project, a “deck scan” was done in 2021. When will the SSV work start and how long will it last? TBD, says Bergerson: “Once a contractor is selected, we will work with them to determine the exact construction timeline.” It is expected to be complete by the end of the year, though, he added. Bidding is open for three weeks, so a contractor won’t be chosen for more than a month.

4:08 PM: That’s smoke, not fog, drifting over the West Seattle Bridge in our framegrab from an SDOT traffic camera near the 4th Avenue South exit. That exit is blocked off right now because of what’s logged as an “encampment fire” toward the end of the ramp. So if you’re headed for 4th any time soon, you’ll want to use 1st and surface Spokane Street instead.

4:41 PM: SFD has cleared the scene and the ramp is reopening.