West Seattle, Washington
05 Wednesday
A big road-work project near the Fauntleroy ferry dock will detour traffic – including buses – starting one week from today. The announcement just in:
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises travelers that contractors will close the intersection of Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Wildwood Place, just south of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal, beginning Monday morning, February 5, through Monday, February 19.
Crews will replace concrete road panels at the intersection, and install a curb ramp on the northeast corner.
Between 7 a.m. on Monday, February 5 and 5 p.m. on Monday, February 19, travelers can expect:
The intersection of Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Wildwood Place to be closed in all directions.
Signed detours will be in place:
Motorists exiting the ferry terminal wanting to head southbound will be directed to go northbound on Fauntleroy Way, turn right on SW Morgan St, and right onto 35th Ave SW to head southbound to their destination.
King County Metro’s Rapid Ride C Line will be detoured along SW Trenton St and 45th Ave SW.
There will be No Parking on either side of SW Trenton St between Fauntleroy Way SW and 45th Ave SW.
There will be No Parking on the west side of 45th Ave SW for 100 feet in both directions of SW Director St.
Temporary parking restrictions are necessary for the detour bus route.
Check Metro’s Alerts & Updates page for additional bus route information.
Construction will occur Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday construction may be required to finish within the scheduled timeframe.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:56 AM: Good morning! The rain’s back. No incidents currently reported in/from West Seattle, but we do have one transit alert so far – the 7:55 am Route 116 from Fauntleroy will not operate, according to Metro.
POSTSCRIPT: Another incident-free day … we report major incidents around the clock so if you hear of/see something and we haven’t reported it yet, let us know (if/when you can do so safely/legally) – 206-293-6302 text or voice, 24/7 – thank you!
Myers/Olson/1st light still in flashing mode, though @seattledot @SDOTtraffic was out here earlier pic.twitter.com/mK7tgcA4Tk
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) January 28, 2018
4:54 PM: The traffic signal at Myers/Olson/1st, at the east end of the SW Roxbury corridor, is still malfunctioning. We got a report this morning, but when we went to check, SDOT was there, so we figured it would be fixed soon. Nope – as of minutes ago, still flashing. Remember, that means all-way stop.
SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: Went back to look – still flashing as of quarter past 9.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:11 AM: Good morning! We’re hoping this morning’s commute has nothing in common with Thursday afternoon. So far, no incidents reported in or from West Seattle.
10:15 PM: Thanks to Kerry for the photo and report from 35th and Hudson [map]: “Once again, a left-turner has been rear-ended at this corner. Three lanes closed. Drivers look to be OK.” SFD has sent one engine, no medic unit, which indeed indicates no serious injuries.
10:31 PM: SFD has cleared the scene. Kerry reports seeing a stretcher used for one person.
1:49 PM: That photo tweeted by SFD shows a truck crash that has closed the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct from the Battery Street Tunnel southward. No injuries, and the driver got out OK, but the SB lanes of The Viaduct will be closed until this is cleared.
(Image tweeted by SDOT)
Buses are being rerouted too, according to an alert just in from Metro. Updates to come.
2:32 PM: A tow truck is on scene.
3:23 PM: No time estimate yet on SB Viaduct reopening. But there’s some bad news if more people head to the West Seattle Water Taxi to get around the 99 problem – King County just sent an alert that the smaller Spirit of Kingston is on the WS route tonight. Meantime, most SB surface routes are backed up, according to info including the SDOT Travelers’ Map (look for the red).
3:32 PM: The southbound Viaduct has just reopened. The left lane is closed for repairs, though.
6:35 PM: The repair closure isn’t over yet, according to SDOT.
6:57 PM: All lanes are open again. (See comments below for some examples of this afternoon/evening’s nightmarish traffic.)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:43 AM: So far, no trouble reported on the outbound routes in/from West Seattle.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. The rain started up again a short time ago but so far that’s the only commute-affecting factor – no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
7:54 AM: Stalled vehicle reported in left lane of EB bridge, near crest.
5:55 PM: Thanks for the tips – multiple trouble spots out there right now. A crash on the West Seattle Bridge that looked like it might clear quickly is now blocking two lanes on the westbound high rise, we’re told. There’s also a crash at 17th and Roxbury that is rerouting buses, according to a Metro alert. We’re also told of deep water on the exit from SB 99 to the bridge, as well as on the bridge itself.
6:29 PM: Metro says SW Roxbury bus routing has returned to normal.
7:17 PM: Now SFD and SPD are headed to a crash at Delridge and Trenton.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:52 AM: Good morning! Just checked around, and there are no incidents so far this morning in West Seattle or on the outbound routes.
7:22 AM If you are headed for NB I-5 – a stalled dump truck is blocking the right center lane by the I-90 exit.
7:49 AM: Cleared!
(Photo added – e-mailed by Andrea)
9:21 AM: Thanks for the photos – that car fire is causing trouble on Fauntleroy Way SW at SW Rose, by Lincoln Park. Anne from Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) tells us it’s blocking northbound traffic. Metro just sent an alert about transit delays in the area, too.
(Texted photo, from Kera)
No injuries reported.
9:42 AM: One more photo added – the SDOT crew called to clean up so the road could be reopened. Police at the scene verify that no one was hurt; the road has reopened.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning and welcome to the brand-new week! Checking around, we find no incidents in/from West Seattle so far this morning.
TRANSPORTATION HEADLINES: Want to have a big role in the next year of planning West Seattle-to-Ballard light rail? Today’s the deadline for applying to be on the “stakeholder group” – info here … Big decisions are even closer for the RapidRide H Line along Delridge – take a look and speak up before everything from stop locations to road changes are finalized … Roadbuilding continues inside the Highway 99 tunnel, which might be open by year’s end – see an update and time-lapse video here.
5:55 PM: Just a reminder – as first noted here on Wednesday, a commercial-production film crew is working in The Junction tonight, and traffic is being stopped intermittently on California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska as a result. We just arrived for a firsthand look and also noted that the traffic stops also involve SW Alaska at California (photo above). As the production scout had told us, the crew (from locally based StraightEIGHT) is “filming a car” being driven on that block – repeatedly. That’s what we’ve seen so far; we’re also checking to see how long they plan to work (the permit runs until 11 pm).
6 PM: Just talked to the scout who had first contacted us, Dave Drummond, who’s on site with the crew, answering bystanders’ questions, etc. – he says they’ll likely be done between 9 and 10 pm. (And while they’re filming a car, it’s not a new car – (added) see photo above – and not a car commercial.)
Again, this is not a continuous traffic stop – and the road has reopened for long stretches between shooting sequences – but if you’re Junction-bound in the next few hours, just be aware you might encounter one of the stops.
10:08 PM: Just went back to The Junction to check; the crew is indeed packing up.
12:40 PM: Seven weeks after moving an old log house across West Seattle, the “house-rescuing” firm Nickel Bros is about to save another local house. The 55-year-old house in our photo, at 1262 Alki SW, will be trucked off the site around midnight tonight and taken to a barge that will be waiting at Don Armeni Boat Ramp. That means road and parking restrictions for a few early-morning hours – you might already have seen the signs. From here, Nickel Bros tells us, this house will be going to a new owner in British Columbia. It would otherwise have been demolished to make way for the new SolTerra development that’s planned for the site; Nickel Bros says the developer asked them to try to find new owners for other houses at the project site too (including the one in the background of our photo above) – you can see the other listings here.
8:09 PM: In comments, readers have pointed out that this is the former home of Fred and Marjorie Dau, best remembered for Admiralty House Antiques (which closed in 2013 in the North Admiral building that now holds the restaurant Mioposto). We will be on Alki Avenue later tonight to cover the move.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. Just checked around, and no incidents are reported in/from West Seattle so far this morning.
SATURDAY ALERT: Whether you are participating or not, be aware that the Women’s March 2.0 will bring thousands to Capitol Hill and downtown tomorrow. Metro has issued this alert, saying it’s adding extra buses as needed on routes including the C Line. Here’s the SDOT traffic alert.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:48 AM: The weather has calmed considerably since the early-morning storm; as noted here, almost 100 Arbor Heights homes are without power. As for traffic, we’ve checked around and no incidents are currently reported in/from West Seattle.
POST-COMMUTE NOTE: We monitor traffic around the clock and appreciate hearing about trouble if you see something that’s not already being covered here – when you can call/text safely and legally, our 24-hour hotline is always the best way to reach us immediately, 206-293-6302 – thank you!
(Added: ‘No parking’ signs in Junction in advance of Sunday night filming)
Today we have a semi-rare case of advance notice that a film/video crew will be in West Seattle for commercial production. This Sunday night (January 21st), between about 5 pm and 10 pm, Seattle-based StraightEIGHT will be working on California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska, location planner Dave Drummond tells WSB. He says he can’t disclose “what product it’s for,” but what they’ll be doing is “filming a car traveling on California between Oregon and Alaska.” (Repeatedly.) Police will be there to help them manage traffic, which will be “held” intermittently, a few minutes at a time. Drummond is doing advance work right now to talk to businesses in the area and work out other details. So in case you see the crew Sunday night – and related equipment/vehicles staging nearby – now you know!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:58 AM: Good morning. As we begin, a Seattle Fire response is arriving at a collision on the Western Avenue offramp from northbound 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct.
FERRIES: Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth continues the two-boat schedule today.
7:07 AM: Via scanner, SFD has just told dispatch that the 99-at-Western incident isn’t a crash, it’s a broken-down school bus, so their units are being dismissed.
7:56 AM: SFD medical response at 26th/Genesee.
8:50 AM: Crash at Delridge and Trenton. Avoid the area. (Note: We’re covering the crash separately, here.)
(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.
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