West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
While you might bump into ongoing West Seattle projects this week – including the start of the Arbor Heights water-main work – there are NO freeway/bridge closures scheduled:
*Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – the only traffic effects this week will be from some lane closures on 1st Avenue S. near Spokane to install sensors (explained here). P.S. No date set yet – as of our last check, anyway – for reopening westbound surface Spokane St.
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – **No** closures scheduled this week (scroll down this page).
(Refresh for latest “live” picture from traffic cam looking at NB 99)
5:55 PM: A crash on 99, first reported on southbound, then northbound, is affecting bridge traffic too – per the scanner, police intend to block off the 99 exit from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge “to alleviate (the) traffic mess.” No details of the crash itself, but we’ve been monitoring the traffic effects.
6:09 PM UPDATE: Metro says this is affecting buses too. Traffic apparently at a complete standstill.
6:39 PM UPDATE: Still backed up. No ETA yet. No scanner updates yet – if you are in it and finally get out of it, **when you get to your destination** (no texting and driving!) let us know, because we’re about to be away from the scanner for a while, though we’re monitoring other information channels. Thanks.
WEST MARGINAL WAY: A traffic alert from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, about work that’ll be happening over the next few weeks: They’ll have contractors “replacing manholes at the intersections of West Marginal Way SW and Southwest Idaho Street, and West Marginal Way SW and Southwest Alaska Street” starting tomorrow, according to spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson. Her advisory continues:
The project could last for up to a couple of weeks, and work hours will be from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays, with some night work expected in mid-October to restore sections of West Marginal Way.
Drivers can expect traffic control set up on both sides of the work site to shift traffic around the site. Flaggers will be on hand to ease congestion and accommodate entry and exit to and from facilities near the work sites, including the City of Seattle’s Herring’s House Park parking lot.
Thinking manhole covers generally seemed sturdy enough to last forever, we asked Kolb-Nelson for a little more info about exactly what’s being done. Her reply: “While sewer infrastructure is built to last for many decades, daily wear-and-tear eventually takes a toll, even on non-mechanical equipment like manholes. The workers are replacing the manhole rings and covers in the intersections, which take a lot of stress from traffic, especially heavy trucks.”
SPOKANE STREET VIADUCT RAMP CLOSURE DATE CHANGE: Just found out from SDOT that the date of an overnight ramp closure is changing. The 1st Avenue South offramp from the WESTBOUND SSV will be closed 3 am till 9 am this Saturday morning (October 6th), instead of for a few hours Thursday morning. (We’ll be updating our standing list of traffic alerts – always linked atop the WSB sidebar – ASAP.)
Here’s the weekly list of traffic alerts – including a look ahead to NEXT weekend, when a full 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct closure is planned from Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon:
TONIGHT (Sunday 9/30): Southbound 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed between the Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge fromm 9 pm tonight till 5 am Monday morning.
MONDAY (10/1): Two West Seattle projects continuing all week: First: Intensified work at the Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project may lead to intermittent lane closures at and near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal as soon as today, as explained on the 2nd page of this flyer. Work hours are expected to run 7 am-5:30 pm, Mondays-Fridays. Second: Ongoing Arbor Heights sidewalk and signal work at and south of 35th/Roxbury.
TUESDAY (10/2): Same as Monday. (Added: Highland Park Way work during the day, explained here.)
WEDNESDAY (10/3): Same as Tuesday. (Added: The West Marginal Way manhole work announced Tuesday – details here.)
THURSDAY (10/4): Same as Wednesday, plus: One brief early-morning closure for the almost-complete Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. (Moved to Saturday)
FRIDAY (10/5): Same as Wednesday.
SATURDAY (10/6): In addition to the 99/Viaduct closure (see next item), the offramp to 1st Avenue South from the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled for closure 3 am-9 am.
NEXT WEEKEND, AVOID 99: Both directions of 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed between the Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge for the semiannual inspection and maintenance, 6 am Saturday 10/6 till 4 pm Sunday 10/7. And a North Seattle note: Highway 99 across the Aurora Bridge will be one lane in each direction from 9 pm Friday 10/5 till 2 pm Sunday 10/7.
Tomorrow’s scheduled to be day 1 of the 35th SW project between Roxbury and 100th in Arbor Heights, according to SDOT, which says the entire project should last about a month. It includes changes to the 35th/Roxbury signal, as well as sidewalk work between 97th and 100th, as first reported here 2 1/2 weeks ago.
Very short list for this week’s traffic alerts. We’ll group them by projects, instead of days:
SPOKANE STREET VIADUCT: Nothing in the coming week, says SDOT.
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT/99: Tonight through Thursday night, it’s closed southbound, 9 pm-5 am, between the Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, says WSDOT.
P.S. If you drive through SODO, remember that there’s a Seahawks game Monday night and a Huskies game Thursday night, both likely to affect traffic. As noted here on Friday, the West Seattle Water Taxi has late-night runs for both games.
Just in from SDOT:
SDOT pavement marking crews will re-mark lines on the West Seattle Bridge tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 22, weather permitting. They plan to begin at approximately 4:30 am and complete the work by 3:30 pm.
The crews do not expect to close lanes, but motorists will need to slow down when driving behind the paint trucks which travel an average of three to six miles an hour during this operation. Motorists are asked to drive cautiously, allowing the crews plenty of room to do their work safely.
Another section of the remaining bumpy stretches of Beach Drive is getting help right now – Atlas to Juneau, as announced by SDOT last week. Traffic is getting through, but one lane at a time, so you may have to stop and wait for a bit. The work is expected to continue till about 7 this evening and then again 8 am-7 pm tomorrow. With this and the section that was repaved back in May, only the section abutting the long-disputed (now settled), slide-prone slope will remain, and the city says that’ll be fixed once the slope work is done (no timetable yet).
(SDOT “live” camera looking north along 99)
The new northbound section of Highway 99 through SODO is open (the closure ended early, last night) and the 1st Avenue offramp from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct opens Wednesday. Those are highlights of this week’s day-by-day/night-by-night traffic-alerts list (compiled from lists provided by SDOT and by WSDOT):
SUNDAY 9/16 (tonight)
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Nothing planned
MONDAY 9/17
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Tonight, SDOT says, “Surface S Spokane Street west of East Marginal Way will be restricted overnight from 10 p.m. on Monday until 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning. During this time, northbound traffic on East Marginal Way wishing to turn west onto S Spokane Street will be detoured to the north and directed to make a u-turn. Southbound traffic on East Marginal Way will be permitted to turn west onto S Spokane Street.”
TUESDAY 9/18
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Tonight, SDOT says, “First Avenue S, from the on/off-ramp to the north side of the intersection of First Avenue S and S Spokane Street will be closed from 10 p.m. on Tuesday until 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning. The on/off-ramp connecting the westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct with First Avenue S will remain open during the closure.”
West Seattle road work alert: Beach Drive between Atlas and Juneau is scheduled for resurfacing, with the work planned 8 am-7 pm.
WEDNESDAY 9/19
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: From SDOT, “The eastbound off-ramp at First Avenue S will reopen Wednesday morning … The same morning, First Avenue S between S Spokane and S Horton Streets will be returned to two travel lanes in each direction, and the eastbound stretch of surface S Spokane Street from East Marginal Way to First Avenue S will reopen.”
West Seattle road work alert: Beach Drive between Atlas and Juneau is scheduled for resurfacing, with the work planned 8 am-7 pm.
THURSDAY 9/20
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Nothing planned.
FRIDAY 9/21-SATURDAY 9/22-SUNDAY 9/23
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct:
Spokane Street Viaduct:
The latest version of this list is always linked atop the WSB sidebar and atop the WSB Traffic page.
KeyArena meeting traffic has backed up northbound I-5 and West Seattle outbound commuters before, so we’re sharing this SDOT alert:
Tomorrow, Thursday, September 13, a crowd of 15,000 is expected to attend the Microsoft Annual Company Meeting at the Key Arena. The meeting is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Attendees will begin arriving at the Seattle Center in 200 buses and some 4,000 private vehicles as early as 8:30 a.m. Motorists should expect heavy congestion in the morning between the I-5 Mercer off-ramp and the Seattle Center and on streets surrounding the Center. The beginning of the afternoon commute could well be impacted in the same area as attendees will be leaving the meeting at approximately 3:30 p.m. Drivers should plan ahead for possible delays.
Another section of Beach Drive is in for paving work – according to this SDOT announcement received this afternoon:
SDOT paving crews plan to grind and pave the roadway on Beach Drive SW from Atlas Place SW to SW Juneau Street on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 18 and 19 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, if weather permits. All sidewalks and crossings will remain open. A single travel lane will be shared by both directions of traffic, with traffic flaggers assisting drivers through the area.
Earlier this year SDOT crews repaved an area of Beach Drive to the south of the current area. The section of Beach Drive between the two repaved areas will be repaved once work is completed to stabilize the slope.
The current work on Beach Drive SW is part of the annual paving program funded by the Bridging the Gap transportation initiative approved by Seattle voters in 2006.
8:23 AM: If you drive, bicycle, or use transit on 4th Avenue South south of the West Seattle Bridge (Spokane Street Viaduct), plan an alternate route – a crash at 4th/Industrial (near Costco) is reported to be blocking both directions of 4th in the area, including the bridge over the railroad tracks. Buses are being diverted. The image above is from the SDOT camera at 4th and Michigan, south of the crash scene and north of the 1st Avenue South Bridge.
9:36 AM UPDATE: Seattle Fire says their crews spent 15 minutes cutting the driver out of the wreckage. He is 55 years old and in critical condition with head trauma, according to SFD.
11:11 AM UPDATE: SDOT has tweeted that the scene is clear.
From SDOT, a road-work alert for a busy intersection on the east edge of The Triangle:
Pedestrian improvements are coming to the intersection of 35th Avenue SW and SW Alaskan Street. Beginning tomorrow, September 11, SDOT paving crews will begin installing upgraded curb ramps. The crews will work on one corner at a time, closing the curb lanes at the corner and providing a sidewalk detour. The crews will work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and plan to complete the work by September 21. SDOT will also install an upgraded pedestrian signal push button for crossing 35th Avenue SW at this location for people who are visually impaired.
For tonight and beyond, this week’s edition of the day-by-day/night-by-night traffic-alert list for routes to and from West Seattle, as taken from the most recent SDOT announcement and the newest WSDOT list:
SUNDAY 9/9 (tonight)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed till 5 am Monday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
MONDAY 9/10
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Monday to 5 am Tuesday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “Two westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed … between I-5 and SR 99 from 11 pm-5 am … The northbound I-5 off-ramp and the Columbian (Way) ramp to westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will also both be closed.”
TUESDAY 9/11
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Tuesday to 5 am Wednesday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “Two westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed … between I-5 and SR 99 from 11 pm-5 am … The northbound I-5 off-ramp and the Columbian (Way) ramp to westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will also both be closed.”
WEDNESDAY 9/12
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed each night at the off-ramp to northbound SR99 … 10 pm-5 am. Traffic on the West Seattle Bridge will be detoured to northbound SR99. Traffic wishing to continue further east will be diverted to the lower Spokane roadway in West Seattle.”
THURSDAY 9/13
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed each night at the off-ramp to northbound SR99 … 10 pm-5 am. Traffic on the West Seattle Bridge will be detoured to northbound SR99. Traffic wishing to continue further east will be diverted to the lower Spokane roadway in West Seattle.”
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY 9/14-9/16
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – (Monday update) 11 pm Friday-5 am Monday, “Northbound SR 99 will be closed between South Royal Brougham Way and the West Seattle Bridge” per WSDOT.
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Aside from ongoing 1st Avenue S. exit closure (it’s reopening Wednesday morning 9/19), nothing scheduled
*NON-HIGHWAY NOTE: California SW and Alaska SW will be closed in the heart of The Junction all day Sunday for the West Seattle Junction Car Show – see you there!
(Photo courtesy Tyler – added 12:50 pm)
12:31 PM: At least one person is reported hurt in a crash that the 911 log says is on the westbound bridge – described on the scanner as involving a vehicle on the median. If you happen to see this while getting ready to head back this way from points east, you’ll want to use another route – low bridge, 1st Avenue South Bridge – for now. (The only city bridge camera that’s working shows a backup on the eastbound side – adding the image here – so avoid the bridge entirely for a while.)
12:44 PM UPDATE: Commenters say the crashed vehicle is a red pickup. From one: “Truck involved in accident is hanging by 2 tires off the westbound median sideways.”
12:50 PM UPDATE: Added a photo (thanks, Tyler!). Per scanner, police are reopening the westbound side of the bridge.
4:19 PM UPDATE: The scene is long clear but we’ve received a few more photos. The one above is from David.
(SDOT’s “live” cam looking east over the bridge; the westbound camera is out of service)
8:06 AM: A crash toward the east end of the eastbound West Seattle Bridge has backed up traffic worse than usual. (Thanks to those who have texted about this, but don’t text if you’re driving!) We don’t have full details but SDOT says it’s a multiple-vehicle crash, and Seattle Fire medics have been on the scene assisting.
8:26 AM UPDATE: SDOT tweets that the crash scene has cleared, so here’s hoping the backup will start to ease a bit – aside from the usual commute intensity.
Even though the 1st Avenue South ramp to/from the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is now open, other work continues, both city and state projects, including the ongoing closure of the eastbound SSV offramp at 1st (till late September). Otherwise, no closures till after Labor Day. Here’s the night-by-night, day-by-day list for the week-plus ahead:
SATURDAY 9/1 (today) through MONDAY 9/3
*No closures planned
TUESDAY (9/4)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Tuesday to 5 am Wednesday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
WEDNESDAY (9/5)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
THURSDAY (9/6)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT:
The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct between SR 99 and I-5 will be closed from 1 am to 5 am Thursday morning. All traffic on the West Seattle Bridge will be detoured to northbound SR 99. Traffic wishing to continue further east will be diverted to the lower Spokane Street roadway.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY (9/7-9/9)
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Aside from ongoing 1st Avenue S. exit closure, nothing scheduled
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Nothing scheduled
LOOKING AHEAD
*The full list of everything notable – elsewhere in the city, too – is here. You’ll note there is a northbound 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct closure scheduled for the weekend of September 15-16.
If you have to head downtown or beyond, avoid northbound Highway 99. A crash earlier this evening drew a major medical response, and the camera on the WSB Traffic page still shows a significant backup. One WSB’er says he saw the car “bouncing off the rails” just before the crash.
4:26 PM: Thanks to everybody who has texted about this – police and fire are on the scene of a crash at Delridge and Barton. The response level doesn’t suggest major injuries, but the texters say the road is blocked – we’re off to check it out.
5 PM UPDATE: The call has closed.
11:24 AM: A truck crash on northbound Highway 99 in the stadium zone is causing a major backup, as you will be able to see in the “live” image above from an SDOT traffic camera if it’s pointing north. Responding crews say they’re working to clear it as fast as they can. In the meantime, it’s also affecting buses, according to an alert from Metro. According to a tweet from Seattle Fire, medics were checking one person for possible injuries.
11:50 AM UPDATE: The latest from Metro regarding reroutes:
Hwy 99 Viaduct blocked: NB Routes 54, 55, 120, 125 rerouted 4th Av S, Prefontaine, 3rd Av. Seneca stop for NB service will be missed.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) August 27, 2012
1:13 PM UPDATE: Per both commenters and SDOT, there is barrier repair going on now; the truck’s been cleared. From Peg Nielsen at SDOT:
The truck has been cleared and now the damaged jersey barriers are being replaced. There’s only 1 lane open – southbound. 2 lanes northbound are blocked. Estimated time before roadway opens is at least ½ hour. If you’re expecting someone or planning to go that way, avoid that route if at all possible!
That e-mail was timestamped 12:54 – so at least ten more minutes till opening.
1:24 PM UPDATE: SDOT says it’s cleared. So does one FB commenter. But unless you are a passenger (car, bus, whatever), don’t type – just confirm when you arrive safely at your destination.
The first heads-up came from WSB Forums member “sbre” (thanks!) – today and Friday, it’s practice-run time for the school buses serving Seattle Public Schools in this area. We spotted one in dropoff mode on a street in Arbor Heights, and then saw this lineup outside Chief Sealth International High School in Westwood. School doesn’t start for SPS till Wednesday, September 5th – but some independent schools start sooner, as does Highline Public Schools to our south (first day is this Thursday), so if you drive, it’s time to start paying attention to school zones again.
Sunday night means it’s time for our weekly list of traffic alerts/notes for the week ahead – as announced so far. This week’s big highlight will be the long-awaited opening of the new westbound Spokane Street Viaduct on/offramp at 1st Avenue South; SDOT says that will happen by 6 am Friday. Here’s what else is ahead:
TONIGHT (Sunday 8/26)
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound, Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
MONDAY 8/27
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound, Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
TUESDAY 8/28
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound, Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
Spokane Street Viaduct: Not on the SSV itself, but beneath it, northbound 1st Avenue South will close 10 pm-5 am at S. Spokane (explained here)
WEDNESDAY 8/29
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound, Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
Spokane Street Viaduct: Not on the SSV itself, but beneath it, northbound 1st Avenue South will close 10 pm-5 am at S. Spokane (explained here)
THURSDAY 8/30
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound, Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
Spokane Street Viaduct: Not on the SSV itself, but beneath it, northbound 1st Avenue South will close 10 pm-5 am at S. Spokane (explained here)
FRIDAY 8/31
Spokane Street Viaduct: New 1st Avenue South on/offramp from the westbound SSV is scheduled to open by 6 am today.
In case you need to refer back to this list during the week – it will remain linked atop the BIG STORIES list on the WSB sidebar.
Before you check out for the weekend – a traffic reminder for Sunday morning. Alki Avenue SW will be closed approximately 8-11 am Sunday, from 63rd SW eastward, for the annual Northwest Hope and Healing-benefiting Alki Beach 5K. (In case you’d like to sign up – there’s registration info in our detailed preview from earlier this week.)
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