West Seattle, Washington
04 Tuesday
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:53 AM: Good morning. If you’re headed toward northbound I-5, there might be a bit of a backup, after an SFD medical response just north of the West Seattle Bridge exit – but the call just closed a moment ago. That’s the only in-or-outbound-from-West Seattle incident so far.
Other notes:
-The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth Washington State Ferries run remains on a two-boat schedule.
-Utility work on 45th SW in front of Madison Middle School will close the street to all but school buses for a few days, starting as soon as today.
For much of the rest of the week, 45th Avenue SW by Madison Middle School – between SW Hinds and SW Spokane – will be closed to all vehicle traffic but school buses. Seattle Public Utilities says it’s a sewer-repair project, and should be complete by the end of the week. They’ve distributed flyers along the street and talked with the school, but just in case you’re a 45th user who is outside that notification scope, this is an FYI. (Thanks to the person who tipped us to this!)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:24 AM: Good morning! Here are the transportation changes for today’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day holiday:
METRO – Reduced weekday service
WATER TAXI – No service
SOUND TRANSIT – Regular weekday service for Route 560; light rail, Saturday schedule
CITY STREET PARKING – No charge at city-run pay stations/meters
SCHOOL BUSES – No school, so no buses
Remember that Metro plans to stop most buses for a “moment of remembrance” at 4:04 pm today.
Also: As announced last night, Washington State Ferries’ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is down to 2 boats.
10:04 AM: Thanks for the tips: For the second morning in a row – after other recent incidences – the Admiral Way/California SW signal light is in flashing-red mode (since at least 8:30). Remember, that makes it an all-way stop. (We’ll be checking with SDOT after the holiday to see why this signal is having so much trouble lately.)
11:11 AM: Just got a call about the 35th SW/SW Monroe crash. SFD was not dispatched, which means no injuries; it should clear soon if it hasn’t already, as one car was being towed as of a few minutes ago.
11:20 AM: Now there’s word of a crash at 38th SW/SW Alaska, blocking – according to scanner traffic – westbound Alaska as well as 38th at the crash scene. SFD has responded to this one (Engine 32, which is based right across the street).
12:34 PM: And now a collision is blocking what is described via scanner as NB Alki SW in the 1300 block. (And the Admiral/California light mentioned above is STILL flashing, per a reader who went through a short time ago.)
6:18 AM: Reminder that the Battery Street Tunnel closure is under way right now – closed for an inspection related to plans for its decommissioning after the Alaskan Way Viaduct is taken out of service. The closure is scheduled to continue until 10 am; if you are headed northbound on 99, you will have to exit at Western, and if you are headed southbound, you will have to exit at Denny.
10:19 AM The SDOT webcam above verifies the tunnel has reopened.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:03 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
Reminders:
SATURDAY MORNING BATTERY STREET TUNNEL CLOSURE: The BSTunnel will be closed both ways 6 am-10 am Saturday morning. If you’re heading north, you’ll have to exit 99 at Western; if you’re heading south (from north of downtown), you’ll have to exit at Denny.
MONDAY HOLIDAY: Monday is Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No school; no Water Taxi; Metro on “reduced weekday” service.
METRO ‘MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE’ MONDAY: As announced Wednesday, most Metro buses will stop at 4:04 pm Monday for a “moment of remembrance.”
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning! We’ve checked around and no incidents are reported in/from West Seattle so far on this rainy Thursday morning.
Previews:
RAPIDRIDE H LINE OPEN HOUSE IN WHITE CENTER TONIGHT: Find out more about – and comment on – the future conversion of Metro Route 120 to the RapidRide H Line, by dropping in between 5 pm and 8 pm at Mount View Elementary (10811 12th SW).
SATURDAY MORNING BATTERY STREET TUNNEL CLOSURE: Another reminder, the BSTunnel is closed both ways 6 am-10 am Saturday morning.
3-DAY WEEKEND AHEAD: Monday is Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No school; Metro on “reduced weekday” service.
METRO ‘MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE’ MONDAY: As announced yesterday, most Metro buses will pause for a “moment of remembrance” at 4:04 pm Monday.
8:43 AM: SDOT reports a collision at Highland Park Way and Holden.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning! Just checked around and no incidents are reported in West Seattle or on the outbound routes.
Looking ahead:
RAPIDRIDE H LINE MEETINGS: 5-8 pm tonight in Burien, it’s the first drop-in meeting related to the conversion of Route 120 to RapidRide H Line. Tomorrow night, White Center; next Wednesday, Delridge. They’re all listed here. Routing/stops are being decided at this early stage so if that’s your bus, get to one if you can.
SATURDAY MORNING REMINDER: 6-10 am Saturday (January 13th), WSDOT will close the Battery Street Tunnel for an inspection. If northbound on 99, you’ll have to exit at Western; if southbound, you’ll have to exit at Denny.
HOLIDAY REMINDER: Next Monday (January 15th) is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. School will be out; Metro will be on “reduced weekday” service.
4:04 PM: Since it’s getting to be time to go home, we’re mentioning this crash that a few people have let us know about: Westbound West Seattle Bridge, Delridge offramp area, right lane is blocked. Police have just said over the scanner that two vehicles are involved. No SFD dispatch so apparently no injuries of note. If you’re headed this way, be careful.
5:04 PM: No updates but the westbound bridge does not appear to be backed up. Meantime, as mentioned in comments, a RapidRide bus was stalled on south/westbound Avalon just past Luna Park – Maggie says she has since seen it being towed away. We also checked on Fairmount through the ravine, which was closed by downed tree(s) for hours earlier today – now open again.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:29 AM: Good morning! Just got a texted report of trees down on Fairmount Avenue through the ravine, north of where the Admiral Way Bridge crosses overhead. The texter tells us the road is impassable and that they’ve called 911 to report it. No other problems currently reported in/from West Seattle.
7:25 AM: Tracy Taylor says SPD and SDOT are at the Fairmount scene.
9:36 AM: We just went over to check; Fairmount is still closed at both ends of the ravine.
4:34 PM: Just drove the ravine to be sure it’s open – it is.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! We’ve checked around and there are currently no incidents in/from West Seattle. Looking ahead:
WEATHER ALERT FOR THURSDAY: Early this morning, the National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement warning that “Very windy conditions are possible Thursday. The wind could be strong enough to cause local damage.”
VIADUCT BATTERY STREET TUNNEL CLOSURE SATURDAY MORNING: 6 am-10 am Saturday (January 13th), as previewed here, the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled to be closed both ways between Seneca and Denny for an inspection primarily involving the Battery Street Tunnel. (Update: WSDOT tells us only the tunnel will be closed – you’ll be able to drive NB to Western during the closure.)
7:03 AM: There’s no SFD dispatch so far, but we’ve just heard on the scanner that SPD is checking out a crash in the 6700 block of West Marginal Way SW.
8:36 AM: Center lane blocked on eastbound WS Bridge by crash, SDOT reports.
8:45 AM: Already cleared!
9:13 AM: Crash on the ramp from the eastbound bridge to northbound I-5, and SFD’s being dispatched.
11:57 AM: Thanks to the texter who let us know about a crash on the eastbound bridge, not far from the Fauntleroy entrance. While there’s no SFD dispatch or SDOT traffic alert yet, we have just heard via scanner that police are reporting two incidents in that area – a crash and a vehicle “with a broken axle” – so if you’re outbound any time soon, you might want to plan to get onto the bridge east of there.
2:17 PM: While there’s been no official update, the closest cameras – including this one – and the traffic-flow indicators on the city map suggest that this has cleared.
ORIGINAL JANUARY 5TH REPORT: Early heads-up: One week from tomorrow – on Saturday morning, January 13th – the Alaskan Way Viaduct will close for four hours, both ways from Seneca to Denny, including the Battery Street Tunnel. This is for an inspection related to plans for decommissioning the BST when the Highway 99 tunnel goes into service and takes the Viaduct out of service. The closure is scheduled for 6 to 10 am on January 13th.
JANUARY 8TH UPDATE: The boundaries of the closure, originally published on SDOT’s weekly construction/closure advisory, were wrong, WSDOT tells us today, and it’s basically just the Battery Street Tunnel, so if you are northbound during the closure, you will be able to exit at Western; if you are southbound, you will be able to exit at Denny. And the Elliott Avenue onramp to SB 99 will remain open.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! No incidents in/from West Seattle so far this morning, nor is there anything major in the area with potential ripple effects.
8:08 AM: The skipped Route 56 mentioned by commenters has finally resulted in an after-the-fact Metro alert:
Transit Alert – Route 56 to downtown Seattle due to leave 61 Av SW & Alki Av SW at 7:32 AM did not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🚌 (@kcmetrobus) January 5, 2018
8:37 AM: Another Metro note – the “online open house” for the Route 120 conversion into the RapidRide H Line, your next feedback opportunity, is open for 10 days starting today – it starts here.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: No outbound problems from West Seattle so far, but for those headed this way via southbound I-5, a rollover crash involving a box truck has been blocking lanes just north of the exit to the westbound West Seattle Bridge. No injuries, WSP says, but even once it’s towed, there will be residual southbound backups.
8:34 AM: WSDOT says the overturned truck has just been cleared and now they’re on to some cleanup work.
8:55 AM: All lanes open again on SB I-5 just north of the WS Bridge exit.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:03 AM: Good morning! We’ve just checked around – no incidents reported so far this morning in, or outbound from, West Seattle.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:15 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018, and back to work, back to school, and/or whatever else is involved in your regular routine. We’ve just checked around and no incidents are reported in/from West Seattle.
1ST AVE. S. ROAD-WORK REMINDER: SDOT says NB 1st Ave. S. could close between Jackson and Yesler as soon as today for months of utility work related to the Center City Connector streetcar project.
8:18 AM: Metro sent an alert saying the 7:49 Route 56 didn’t operate, but then just now sent an update saying it did operate, but more than 20 minutes late.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:39 AM: Good morning! It’s the final weekday morning of 2017. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
Looking ahead to the next weekday – New Year’s Day on Monday – Metro will be on a Sunday schedule; Sound Transit’s West Seattle-serving Route 560 will be out of service; so will the Water Taxi. Washington State Ferries’ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route will be on a regular weekday schedule.
But before we get there – remember that Metro buses will be FREE on New Year’s Eve (Sunday), as announced last week, from 4 am Sunday to 4 am Monday.
8:30 AM: Trouble downtown. A crash is blocking 2 lanes of NB I-5 at the Convention Center.
8:56 AM: Crash scene has cleared to the right and the lanes have reopened.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:56 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far this Thursday morning.
One transit alert so far: Metro texted/tweeted that “The first Route 55 due to leave SW Atlantic St & 44 Av SW is operating more than 20 minutes late this morning.”
7:30 AM: Another after-the-fact Metro alert: The 6:33 am Route 116 headed downtown did not operate.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! It’s a few degrees above freezing, might see some light snow but the National Weather Service says there’s not much moisture in the area. No traffic incidents so far in/from West Seattle. And remember that Metro remains on a “reduced weekday” schedule.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:54 AM: Good morning. No traffic incidents in/from West Seattle so far today, but one transit alert: The 6:44 am Route 37 from West Seattle did not run. Remember, meantime, that Metro is on “reduced weekday” service this week, and did go back to regular routing last night, after a day of snow routing.
Speaking of snow, the forecast still calls for a chance of some tonight. Until then, today is expected to be partly sunny, high in the 30s.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:11 AM: Good morning. No snow – not cold enough – and so far, no incidents in/from West Seattle.
TRANSIT ON CHRISTMAS DAY: On Monday, Metro will be on a Sunday schedule; the Water Taxi won’t run. Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a Sunday schedule.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:04 AM: Good morning. No incidents in/from West Seattle so far, but watch out for icy patches here and there, since it’s below freezing right now (winter officially arrives just before 8:30 am). Meantime, an after-the-fact transit alert just in:
Transit Alert – The first Route 22 to the Alaska Junction due to leave Shorewood at 6:20 AM did not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🚌 (@kcmetrobus) December 21, 2017
Also of note: Southbound I-5 at the train-derailment scene in Pierce County reopened last night.
8:39 AM: Jennifer reports via e-mail:
46th SW (as it turns into 46th from 100th) as it goes down to meet Marine View Drive is a solid sheet of thick ice all the way down in the right lane. There has long been a water leak of some kind there, but today it is very icy and extremely dangerous as you’re headed down to the stop sign on Marine View Drive.
She says SDOT has been called to dispatch de-icer.
9:09 AM: Crash on the eastbound bridge, per the scanner. Haven’t yet heard exactly where.
9:14 AM: At Delridge, per SDOT. Meantime, there’s also a call out to move a stalled Metro bus from the eastbound bridge to 99 – probably the one Mike tweeted about:
Our bus boiled over, WS Bridge ramp to NB 99. Folks hopped on passing 21 and 120 buses. pic.twitter.com/WRLXIfH93s
— Michael C. Lindblom (@MikeLindblom) December 21, 2017
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