West Seattle, Washington
01 Wednesday
9:14 PM: Saturday night callout for one of SDOT’s Incident Response Team: They’re cleaning up after a crash at Harbor/Avalon/Spokane. This may block north-to-eastbound access to the bridge onramp (and lower Spokane) from Avalon for a while longer, so if you have to head out, consider another way. No serious injuries reported – SFD has cleared the scene and no medic unit was dispatched.
10:10 PM: Scene’s not clear yet, but the SDOT live cam shows traffic is now getting through onto eastbound lower Spokane and the bridge onramp.
10:19 PM: Clear now, reports SDOT.
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
5:30 AM: Good morning! So far the problems are NOT in our area.
5:45 AM – LOOKING AHEAD: Reminders while things are quiet – Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. School’s out, and most government offices/facilities are closed. Metro plans “reduced weekday” service.
5:48 AM: SDOT reports “Rail crossing delays at 2nd Ave and S Spokane St, blocking all EB and WB lanes.” (This is the first such alert we’ve seen – following the Wednesday train trouble.)
6:11 AM: Monitoring police radio, there are various train-related problems including a track-crossing arm STUCK DOWN ON WESTBOUND SIDE of Spokane St. around 2nd. Needs repair. That won’t be soon. Also word of a train on tracks at 6th/Spokane. Overall, just avoid surface Spokane for now!
6:20 AM: Arm problem may be fixed but train traffic hasn’t passed. … Our crew is off to the Water Taxi dock to see how things are going there this Friday morning. Weather-wise, a lot like Thursday so far.
6:40 AM: Bridge is busy as has been the case every day this first post-Viaduct week. (Here’s the point-in-time screengrab.)
6:46 AM: Train traffic on lower Spokane has cleared again.
6:55 AM: And … another train. … At the Water Taxi dock, they tell us it’s been a “light morning,” at least compared to earlier in the week. 75 passengers on the most-recent sailing.
7:10 AM: 59 on the sailing after that. And YET MORE trouble on lower Spokane, this time at 11th/Spokane just off the low bridge a crash – we took this from the city webcam:
(Fully blocking there, as of a few minutes later.)
7:20 AM: We have clarified with King County – there IS Water Taxi service (West Seattle AND Vashon) on Monday even though King Day would otherwise be a holiday.
7:35 AM: The crash east of the low bridge is still blocking. … Water Taxi volume’s up a bit – 110 is the latest sailing’s count.
Again, there IS WT service on Monday.
7:50 AM: Still working to clear the crash east of the low bridge. SDOT’s Incident Response Team is there. Screengrab:
7:55 AM: SDOT tweets that “the westbound lane and one eastbound lane” have reopened there.
8:28 AM: Busy but no new problems. Later this morning, we’ll get a #Realign99 construction update in the south work zone. Also looking ahead – if you’re heading off-peninsula tomorrow, note that this year’s Womxn’s March will be happening (details in this city roundup).
8:55 AM: No new problems. We’re continuing to monitor and will update here if anything new does transpire before 10 am.
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
4:09 PM: We’re watching the pm commute again.
4:21 PM: WSDOT reports heavy volumes on both directions of I-5 through the region. The West Seattle Bridge is still sluggish eastbound (that’s a most-of-the-day thing now).
4:39 PM: Some trouble for those headed back this way from the Eastside – WSDOT reports a crash partly blocking the westbound I-90 exit to SB I-5.
4:57 PM: It’s raining – this morning’s real rain was mostly pre-commute, but this time it’s happening right in the heart of the travel time. Be safe.
5:08 PM: SDOT reports a crash at 16th/Roxbury.
5:37 PM: In comments, Jen reports “Semi blocking right WB lane under the upper bridge right before Avalon exit.”
6:21 PM: We’ve been listening to scanner traffic with a crash involving a Metro bus and wires down off SB 509 at 128th in Burien, and now a texter has mentioned it. Just an FYI if you’re headed in that direction – we haven’t seen any indication how/whether it’s affecting highway traffic.
6:28 PM: Just heard from a caller that this is affecting people trying to get onto SB 509 there. And Burien Police just tweeted:
Our units are currently at S. 128 St. at SR 509 for a collision involving a truck and a Metro bus. So far, injuries appear minor and aid is treating on scene. A power box was damaged and power is out in the immediate area. Please use alternate routes if possible.
— Burien Police (@BurienPD) January 18, 2019
6:47 PM: We weren’t on today’s media conference call due to a conflicting story interview (unrelated) but tomorrow we’re planning to cover a #Realign99 construction-zone tour and briefing. Any unanswered questions about how that’s going, let us know – thanks!
7:24 PM: A King County Sheriff’s Office photo from the 509/128th crash:
KCSO also says that “the driver of the white pickup truck is under arrest on suspicion of DUI.” He also was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Also: Today’s project update and other notes from WSDOT, including the morning West Seattle Water Taxi tally – under 1,000 for the first time this week but still triple last year’s ridership.
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
5:30 AM: Good morning! The change in the weather has arrived – but it’s not raining hard outside, just misting – so far. No incidents reported in our area.
5:55 AM: As with the previous three mornings, the bridge looks busier earlier.
6:13 AM: And even busier now. (Here’s a screengrab for the record.)
6:20 AM: Our crew, heading shortly for Water Taxi watch for the fourth day, reports it’s NOT raining right now. Warmer than recent mornings – 46 degrees.
6:40 AM: If you commute regionally and rely on WSDOT travel times – they’ve been coping with an outage but are now back, here.
6:50 AM: First report in from our crew at the West Seattle Water Taxi dock – rough couht ~70 on the boat that’s about to take off.
7:11 AM: Still nothing out of the ordinary to report. (added) Covered waiting area at Water Taxi dock still not needed, since the rain has yet to resume:
7:28 AM: By our count, about 150 on the Water Taxi that’s just taking off.
7:39 AM: Water Taxi usage is down this morning. Fewer triple-digit runs by our count; 79 on this one. Back on land watch, no train or low-bridge trouble this morning, unlike yesterday … so far.
7:58 AM: Just tweeted by BNSF, whose only tweet during yesterday’s 45+-minute blockage was to tell pedestrians to get off the tracks:
Rail traffic is moving normally in #Seattle this morning. Yesterday’s delay in SoDo was due to unusual circumstances and we regret the inconvenience during #SeattleSqueeze. We hope you’ll have a great day today! #Viadoom #Realign99
— BNSF Railway (@BNSFRailway) January 17, 2019
8:06 AM: Low bridge busy eastbound right now. Here’s a moment-in-time screengrab. No maritime openings logged so far this morning.
8:19 AM: One last Water Taxi count on our watch before our crew oves on – 77 for the 8:15-ish run. Remember that the extra service is here for two months, all the way until the 7-day-a-week schedule kicks in at the end of March, so lots of time to try it if you haven’t yet but could.
9:02 AM: Morning four of “Viadoom” hasn’t seemed very doomy. This tweet seems to corroborate:
Just want to give a shoutout, @westseattleblog from the @SeattlePD officers guiding busses in the rain to the @kcmetrobus drivers sitting in traffic, everyone has had such a positive and helpful attitude that has made #Viadoom so much more pleasant 👏🏼 #thanks
— Tessa Wuertz (@tessa_wuertz) January 17, 2019
We’re moving on to other news atop the page – so much to catch up on – but will continue to update here if any notable morning situations arise, plus we’ll be on PM watch again, with the weather projected to get wetter/breezier by then.
10:02 AM: Low bridge closed to surface traffic a few minutes ago, for the first time this morning. (Update: The closure lasted 11 minutes.)
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
3:45 PM: We’re on PM commute watch now. Trouble spot reported by Jim Edwards:
SB West Marginal way down to one lane approaching Highland Park Way. Construction material spill (chunky mud) covering Left GP and left turn lane. Sweepers and Commercial Enforcement on scene.
4:39 PM: No incidents of note but general assessment, I-5 traffic is heavy both ways.
4:56 PM: Not an unusual alert from Washington State Ferries, but since we’re tracking the PM commute: “There is an estimated 60-minute wait for drivers departing Fauntleroy due to heavy vehicle traffic boarding the vessels.”
5:27 PM: And now, no extended wait. … The “low bridge” is closed right now so maritime traffic can pass through. Remember that the PM period when the Coast Guard agreed to limit bridge openings is 2-5 pm.
5:44 PM: After about 20 minutes of being closed to surface traffic, the low bridge has reopened.
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
5:30 AM: Good morning! No incidents to report so far on this third post-Viaduct weekday morning.
5:39 AM: Someone just texted (we’re at 206-293-6302) to report a helicopter over/near east West Seattle. Flight tracker and radio communication verify it’s just the TV helicopter (the one shared by 4/5) monitoring traffic again, and it’s now headed away, northward. …Noted a few minutes later while monitoring TV, 7’s helicopter (which doesn’t show on trackers) is still here.
5:47 AM: Weather, by the way, still dry. First possibility of any rain is this afternoon, more likely it’ll hold off until tonight.
5:50 AM: We’re tweeting bridge snapshots this morning, since the live cams don’t archive. Getting busy!
6:25 AM: Commenter J reports 4th Ave. exit bus ramp has lots of violators, no police monitors this morning. Meanwhile, we’re headed to the Water Taxi dock shortly to see how that’s going. And here’s the latest bridge snapshot for the record. Even busier.
6:42 AM: After we mentioned the 4th Ave. ramp situation on Twitter, Nichole tweeted back that she saw police getting into position nearby. … For the first time this week, we’re hearing about a train delay on the surface under the bridge. We asked SDOT about this last week – bottom line, they say BNSF didn’t make any commitments to changing policies during Viaductlessness.
6:54 AM: West Seattle Water Taxi dock seems quieter this morning, according to our reporter, who’s just arrived, his third morning there. 100 on most-recent run. Earlier #’s not available yet. (Water Taxi schedule, shuttle schedule, other info all here!)
7:07 AM: Just under 100 on most-recent Water Taxi departure. Meantime, bike commuting remains up; West Seattle-residing Seattle Times transportation reporter Mike Lindblom reports via Twitter that the counter on the bridge shows 137 so far this morning, and that the bridge trail has been de-iced “but nearby asphalt still frosty.”
7:16 AM: Here’s the surface-Spokane train-related jam (we took a screengrab of a nearby camera that’s one of those featured on our full traffic-cams page):
7:28 AM: Direct link to “live” camera here. We’re watching it to see when the train is finally clear – but that hasn’t happened yet. … Related alert for Route 50:
Transit Alert – Route 50 is currently rerouted off of SODO Busway between S Holgate St and S Spokane St, due to a blockage.
— King County Metro🚏🚎⚓️ (@kcmetrobus) January 16, 2019
A friend tweeted blockage has been 30 minutes and pedestrians jumping up and over between train cars.
— Scott Amick (@ScottA_SEA) January 16, 2019
7:39 AM: Commenter Moon Kitten advises, “You can get around the train hold up if you go up E Marginal and cross over to 1st Ave on Hanford! I was stuck as well and went up E Marginal and crossed over to 1st Ave… then back down S on 1st.”
7:45 AM: Train finally cleared in the last few minutes:
(At 7:40 am, it was still there – 7:43 am as per timestamped image, gone.)
7:55 AM: In the meantime, per the Twitter log, the “low bridge” was just open for 17 minutes. Not a good morning for surface (non-high bridge) traffic overall. The openings 7-10 am were supposed to be limited to the largest vessels, so we’re going to check what just passed. (Update: Can’t tell from MarineTraffic.com.)
8:01 AM: Sunrise beauty shot from our Water Taxi dock crew, featuring the MV Doc Maynard:
8:12 AM: The train stop has been the morning’s biggest headline in the area. In the big picture regionally, WSDOT reports “NB I-5 backup into SEA longer than normal.”
8:16 AM: Newest numbers from our Water Taxi watcher: 74 at 7:50 am, 156 at 8:05 am.
8:19 AM: Just dispatched, police to a crash reported at Delridge/Findlay. Cars in center lane, per scanner, no serious injuries.
8:38 AM: Trouble at the east end of the Roxbury corridor – SFD dispatch to a car-fire call, SDOT tweets “collision on 1st Ave S at Olson Pl SW blocking all SB lanes and NB right lane.”
8:51 AM: Bridge still busy (here’s another moment-in-time screengrab for the record and later comparison).
8:54 AM: The 1st/Olson/etc. situation may be an issue for a while. Reader just texted this photo:
So beware, if you are headed through the east end of the Roxbury corridor, to/from South Park and/or the 509 intersection there. (Added – a closer view that also shows a school bus apparently involved.)
SFD has been cleared and no medic units involved so apparently no serious injuries.
9:13 AM: SDOT says one southbound lane is getting through at the 1st/Olson/Myers scene … Our Water Taxi dock crew is back. Here’s a pic of the temp Pier 2 parking lot:
9:51 AM: Most-recent update from SDOT was that most lanes were open again at the Olson/Myers/1st scene. We’ll be following up on the crash later. … Eastbound bridge still busy; here’s the latest addition to this morning’s moment-in-time screengrabs so we have comparisons for future dates.
10:05 AM: Crash reported at California/Juneau. Two SFD units dispatched.
10:25 AM: That crash involves a car on sidewalk plus a truck. 1 person to hospital. Photo to come. SB side of California; traffic getting by in center lane.
11:25 AM: There’s the pic. On our way back from post-traffic-watch errands, we passed the scene again; truck gone, car being towed. SDOT sent an Incident Response Team truck, too.
(TUESDAY MORNING COVERAGE HERE)
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
4:05 PM: Good afternoon! We’re watching the PM commute again today. No specific issues right now. Most recent regional overview from WSDOT: “Travel times are pretty tame at the moment.”
4:49 PM: All’s still well. Keeping an eye on downtown too. And the forecast – now a “slight chance of rain” tomorrow morning, a little higher chance Wednesday afternoon, then “likely” on Thursday.
5:40 PM: Bus report tweeted by Randy:
C Line, just departed 3rd and Pike. Normally already standing room… loving the added frequency and bus lane enforcement! Can we just have this all of the time? 🆑🚍 @kcmetrobus @westseattleblog pic.twitter.com/r0fXP0Kstl
— Randy (@Randay206) January 16, 2019
5:51 PM: If you are headed OUT of West Seattle, heads-up – just heard a dispatch for a two-car “blocking” crash on the eastbound high bridge. Exactly where, haven’t heard, but hope it’s off to the side as the drivers are reported to be “arguing with each other.”
6:05 PM: Police were unable to find the crash scene, so apparently they moved on.
6:16 PM: If you head this way on 4th Avenue S., heads up about a Seattle Fire response at 4th/Stacy (map) just south of downtown. “Burning pile of debris” is the report. Reportedly on the north side of the street so SB traffic not too likely to be affected.
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
5:29 AM: Good morning! Welcome to a foggy Tuesday. Among the things you should know as we start coverage for the second weekday of three weeks without Highway 99:
RIDE2: King County says “Customers can again request trips for Ride2 West Seattle using the app or via phone calls. Our contractor is monitoring the system after making fixes last night.”
5:54 AM: The fog is expected to hang around through the entire commute – a “dense fog advisory” through 9 am.
6:10 AM: High bridge looks busy. Regionally, travel times are reported to be “above average,” so people are commuting earlier again today.
6:26 AM: Texter says police are out watching the new 4th Avenue temp bus lane. SDOT did send us a revised map (PDF) of the lane as it exits the eastbound West Seattle Bridge.
6:34 AM: Thanks to the texter who just let us know that two buses, Routes 50 and 37, got into a bit of a scrape on Alki:
I am just leaving to catch the water taxi shuttle for the water taxi into downtown and there is a bus collision, it’s on 61st and Alki Ave.
It hasn’t started to cause any trouble but just wanted to let you all know! Not too bad, looks like one of the buses clipped the other and knocked off the side mirror.
6:45 AM: Also on the topic of buses, Colleen reports via Twitter that her C Line was full from The Junction and skipped the remaining WS stops. One other Twitter report, from Mary: “6:10 #56 almost full before reaching California Ave. New early crowd for sure.”
6:59 AM: Our crew is now at the Water Taxi dock to see how things are going. First three sailings: 113, 60, 120. That first one was more than yesterday, but since both boats hold 200+, there’s still plenty of room. And if you don’t have anyone to drop you there and can’t get to a bus/shuttle, usage of the temp (free) lot at Pier 2 did not get anywhere close to maxing out Monday, so that’s an option (entrance is across from the Harbor Ave 7-11).
7:13 AM: 81 people on the 7:05 Water Taxi. And reps at the dock confirm Pier 2 has plenty of room to park. The bridge, meantime, looks full, but in our experience, this seems to be the start of peak time anyway.
7:44 AM: City traffic engineer Dongho Chang has tweeted bicycling stats from Monday. Major jumps from comparable dates the past two years – 1,666 riders counted yesterday.
8:06 AM: The roads definitely peaked early. Meantime, more West Seattle Water Taxi numbers – 190 at 7:25, 99 at 7:40, 165 at 8 am.
8:34 AM: Bridge and I-5 are still busy – if you’re trying to avoid jams you probably need to wait at least another hour. Also remember that the Coast Guard has agreed to limit low-bridge openings for marine traffic between 7 and 10 am and 2 pm and 5 pm – there was one low-bridge opening around 6:30 on Monday – so if you avoid the low bridge because of the unpredictability, it might be more feasible here during Highway 99-less-ness.
8:48 AM: Looking ahead, the rain is now expected to stay away until Thursday morning. So we’ll likely have two rainy commutes, and then next Monday is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
8:57 AM: If you are headed northbound beyond downtown, take note – three lanes of NB I-5 are blocked near Northgate by a semitruck on its side.
9:04 AM: Our crew is back from spending the past few hours at the Water Taxi dock and reports, “It’s slick out there.” … Got questions? We’ll be on the multi-agency media conference call again at 11:30 (yesterday’s participants included WSDOT, SDOT, Metro, Sound Transit) so let us know.
(SEE OUR MORNING COVERAGE HERE)
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
3:30 PM: Good afternoon! We’re back to watch the journey home. For starters, Dale sends word that the 4000 block of SW Oregon should be avoided – police are there handling a crash.
3:57 PM: All clear. Incident Response Team truck was just leaving.
4:17 PM: From SDOT: “We’re seeing light traffic on major roads downtown, but traffic is picking up on Mercer St EB, I-5 SB into downtown, and on the West Seattle Bridge EB toward I-5.”
4:35 PM: If you’re choosing your route home, 1st Avenue on the south side of downtown looks good, per updates from a texter.
5:20 PM: As pointed out in comments, the TV helicopters are back over the bridge … South of downtown, a crash is reported at 1st and Holgate. On the northbound side, but still – FYI.
5:31 PM: The Water Taxi sends an official announcement of the adjustment reported earlier in a comment by SeattleNewbie: “During this first evening commute of #Realign99, crews are testing a new boarding procedure at Pier 52. Riders can pretap ORCA cards to prepay in order to expedite boarding during this period of high demand.” … Meantime, our Amazon-bus commuter tipster says it was a half-hour ride home just now, southbound I-5 to the West Seattle Bridge.
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)
5:30 AM: Good morning! As promised, we’re on watch early for the first post-Viaduct commute. No outbound trouble reported so far.
5:40 AM: WSDOT reports a collision on NB I-5 downtown: “in the gore point on NB 5 near Seneca; it isn’t blocking anything, but people are seeing it and slowing, so we are seeing a bit heavier traffic in that area.”
6:04 AM: Our crew is now headed to Seacrest to report on the Water Taxi commute for the rest of the morning, in addition to everything else we’re monitoring.
6:28 AM: Solid brake lights on the eastbound bridge. And an interesting report in comments – Route 56 did stop at the light-rail station, something Metro said they wouldn’t do. Please keep us all updated on anomalies (we’ll ask at the media briefings/Q&A sessions later). Also – wherever you see a temporary no-parking sign, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!
Some of those zones are meant as holding zones for added buses that might be needed. … Meantime, still lots of room on the Water Taxi. The county isn’t providing passenger counts so far but we counted about 80 people boarding the one that’s about to leave.
6:40 AM: Update – 112 on that sailing. Still room (both boats on the WS run have 200+ capacity). Also, the low bridge opened for 11 minutes. Note that the temporary restrictions are in effect 7-10 am and 2-5 pm, and even during that time, it can still open for 5,000-gross-ton-plus vessels.
6:58 AM: 4700 block of West Marginal Way SW (by the Duwamish Longhouse) has a Seattle Fire “rescue extrication” response headed that way for a crash that is reported to be possibly “in a wooded area.” … Update: Car on roof, off road, one person hurt. Response is still likely to be affecting W. Marginal Way flow for a while.
7:12 AM: Water Taxi dock busy but NOT over capacity, still. Most-recent boat left with 110+ people. Here’s the line:
Marination Ma Kai at the dock is opening at 7 am for breakfast.
Meantime: Andy tells us that West Marginal near the Longhouse-vicinity crash scene is slick – temps this morning were close to freezing. We’re also told traffic there IS getting by despite the emergency response. … Thanks to everyone who’s sharing their experience in comments!
7:39 AM: The headline seems to be, everybody left early so backups started earlier. Meantime back at the dock, sailings are now surpassing 200 (getting closer to capacity). King County Executive Dow Constantine, longtime WT champion, is at the dock too (in photo with KC Marine Division’s Paul Brodeur):
7:49 AM: West Seattle-residing Seattle Times transportation reporter Mike Lindblom tweeted that the 7:30 am bike counter on the “low bridge” showed 278. Meantime, most-recent Water Taxi run was just under 100. The Metro supervisor keeping watch on the temporary parking lot at Pier 2 tells us it’s only about a quarter full – free shuttle to the dock – so if you’re still considering how to get off the peninsula, that’s an option.
8:03 AM: A warning from Rebecca: “Please post a warning ASAP about the northern tip of California Ave where the street makes a sharp turn. I just saw two bicyclists and a moped wipe out there!! Very slippery right now.” She sent this photo:
(Rebecca adds that Ferry Avenue is slick too.) Meantime, bus riders say things are going relatively well – including private transit; an Amazon bus rider from The Junction said the 7 am trip only took five minutes longer than last week.
8:23 AM: SDOT reports “So far, light traffic on major roads in Downtown Seattle.”
8:38 AM: The 8:15 am Water Taxi had 139 people on board. KC Marine Division confirms that they are leaving on schedule even if there are people waiting – Heather e-mailed us about this and said about 15 people were affected at one point during the 6 am hour; our crew hasn’t seen a major amount of this happening, but still, be aware – they are loading until one minute before scheduled departure, and then taking off. Also, the free shuttles have been pretty much at capacity.
(That’s the San Juan Clipper, the second boat on the West Seattle run during this extra-service time.)
8:47 PM: And a big-picture stat – through 8:35, just under 1,200 passengers on Water Taxi runs this morning, 66 percent above normal this time of year. Ride2 has had 150 riders (we’re checking on commenters’ reports of app glitches).
9 AM: If you’ve waited to leave – this would seem to be a pretty great time. We added to the array of cameras on our Traffic page so you can see for yourself beyond the four we are showcasing above.
9:27 AM: Another icy-road report, just in via text:
Might be worth noting in your traffic reporting that Snake Hill on the way to Brandon is terribly terribly icy. I just picked up and took home a couple of bicyclists I came upon who had wiped out on their way down. Bumped and bruised and broke a one of the bikes. Another route to Delridge is advised.
9:43 AM: Don’t get complacent, is the reminder … everybody who made a change today DEFINITELY helped. We’ll be watching traffic through the day and will have a PM report too with an ear on getting back this way. We also expect morning post-mortems from the transportation agencies in a conference call in less than 2 hours, and a Metro briefing at 1:30 pm, so stand by for updates! Thanks again for texting/calling 206-293-6302 (our round-the-clock hotline, in its 12th year) when there’s something to report.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:15 AM: Good morning. No incidents or transit alerts right now for our area. But the headline is – the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes permanently tonight, and Highway 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel will be closed until the tunnel opens in about three weeks.
WHAT HAPPENS, WHEN: WSDOT says the Columbia Street ramp will be first to close tonight, around 9:45 pm. Also: Because a small section of the Viaduct has to be removed so the NB ramp into downtown at Dearborn can be built, Railroad Way South will be closed all weekend. (The rest of the demolition won’t begin until after the tunnel is open.) Here are the details.
7:38 AM: Still quiet. If you’re thinking of trying bicycling because of the closure – and/or because of the permanent changes ahead – another “Survive #Realign99” ride is planned (corrected) SUNDAY, JANUARY 13. Details here.
7:48 AM: Just sent by Metro via text and tweet:
Transit Alert – The first Route 21 Express to Downtown Seattle due to leave Westwood Village at 7:57 AM did not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🚏🚎⚓️ (@kcmetrobus) January 11, 2019
7:52 AM: Live WSDOT traffic cam showing the spot on 99 where rampbuilding will ramp up once the highway’s closed tonight:
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:58 AM: Good morning. Second-to-last day for the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which closes forever at 10 pm tomorrow (Friday). Just checked around – no incidents currently reported in/from West Seattle.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:17 AM: Good morning. Third-to-last day for the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which closes forever at 10 pm Friday. Texter reports a problem backing things up on NB 99 near the stuadiums.
STILL HAVE A VIADOOM/SEATTLE SQUEEZE QUESTION? We’re going to the next multi-agency media briefing this morning and taking along any lingering questions – comment, or contact us, if you have one.
7:52 AM: Don’t know if it’s new or the same blockage but official traffic reports now mention a stuck truck blocking right lane of NB 89 at Holgate.
Commenters say Admiral is way backed up.
8:01 AM: Reports of other approaches to the bridge backed up too.
8:15 AM: Low bridge backed up too. SDOT says an incident response team is with the truck on 99. Also – crash reported at 35th/Morgan.
8:47 AM: SDOT says the truck on 99 has been moved to the shoulder.
10:05 AM: We’re on the way to the Viadoom briefing and the high bridge is still backed up to Nucor. Also, two cars pulled over in the right eastbound lane across from Walking on Logs – couldn’t tell if it was a fender bender or one driver assisting another. No emergency vehicles on scene.
10:15 AM: Made it to the 1st Avenue S. offramp.
11:59 AM: Thanks to Phil for the tip/photo. That crash on southbouhd 35th SW at SW Alaska might back things up for a bit. No SFD callout so far, so apparently no serious injuries.
12:26 PM: Now another crash of note – westbound West Seattle Bridge at the Delridge exit. This one DOES have an SFD dispatch.
It’s on the offramp itself, according to SDOT (traffic-cam framegrab added).
1 PM: SDOT says 35th/Alaska is clear.
1:07 PM: And now the Delridge offramp is, too.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:11 AM: Good morning! No incidents or transit alerts in our area so far.
REMINDER: The Highway 99 closure starts 10 pm Friday (here’s the timeline).
7:50 AM: SDOT reports a “blocking bus” at 5th/Roxbury.
As part of the preparation for the so-called Seattle Squeeze – starting with the upcoming Highway 99 closure and continuing through years – the city set up mailing lists for traffic alerts on certain “corridors,” as part of the creation of a new traffic-resource website, seattletraffic.org. When we covered the announcement two months ago, the only West Seattle corridor was for The Junction. Highland Park community advocate Michele Witzki contacted Councilmember Lisa Herbold suggesting this area needs more – and she got word from SDOT today that her request has led to the creation of two new “corridor” alerts – one for Westwood, and one for Georgetown. You can sign up for those and/or others by going here. You also can find the current corridor times, and predictions, on this page.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning! No incidents or transit alerts in our area so far.
Toplines:
-Back to school post-winter break
–South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) starts 10 am because of Puget Ridge power outage
–Washington State Ferries now on winter schedule
-Highway 99 closure starts 10 pm Friday (here’s the timeline)
7:10 AM: Not mentioned by SDOT yet but JayDee says there’s a crash on the eastbound high bridge just before Delridge.
8:41 AM: SSC has updated – closed all day.
1:26 PM: According to radio communication, southbound California Avenue SW is currently blocked in the 3200 block as SFD handles a natural-gas leak. They haven’t yet found the source but believe they’ll be able to clear it via ventilation.
1:53 PM: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli reports California is now open both ways. (We have added a photo he sent.)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:17 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in our area so far.
METRO TODAY: Again today, buses are on “reduced weekday” service.
9:38 AM: Getting downtown right now is close to impossible. We are trying to get to a City Hall briefing on Viaduct-to-Tunnel mobility and are stuck on the 4th Avenue S. exit ramp, just discovering the “rescue extrication” call that’s blocking 4th at Spokane.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:43 AM: Good morning! The holidays are over but holiday vacations aren’t – school isn’t back in session for most (if not all) until next Monday, for example.
METRO TODAY: Again today, buses are on “reduced weekday” service.
#REALIGN99 COUNTDOWN: This Friday night (January 4th) at 10 pm, the on- and off-ramps in the stadium zone close — first big changes, one week before the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s permanent closure. We’ll be covering media briefings each of the next two days, so if you have lingering questions, ask (in comments or text/email) so we can seek answers!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! We’ve checked around – so far, no incidents reported in our area.
METRO TODAY: Running again today on “reduced weekday” service.
METRO TONIGHT: Reminder that Metro will be free to ride 7 pm tonight until 4 am tomorrow.
8:41 PM: Thanks for the tip – the inside eastbound lane of the West Seattle Bridge is closed for a stretch east of the Fauntleroy entrance because of yet another crash knocking the jersey barrier out of place. No SFD dispatch, which indicates no serious injuries.
9:04 PM: Per scanner, the lane has reopened.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:56 AM: Good morning! We’ve checked around – no incidents reported in our area, so far. Transit notes:
METRO: Running again today on “reduced weekday” service.
FERRY: Also again today, Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth is on a two-boat schedule, with repairs set to start on the damaged slip at Vashon.
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