(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:16 AM: Good morning. There’s a crash blocking the intersection of 11th/Spokane:

Thanks to Walker for first word, and the photo, reporting that it’s a two-vehicle collision on the east end of the low bridge.

Here’s what else you need to know as the day gets going:

BACK TO SCHOOL: Just about everyone who hasn’t gone back to school already is doing it today – including Seattle Public Schools and Highline Public Schools (here’s our full list).

JUNCTION ROAD WORK: Signs are up for SDOT work on SW Edmunds west of California starting today, and that’s changing Metro Route 22 through Friday, according to this alert sent late yesterday.

7:02 AM: SDOT says the crash by the low bridge has cleared.

7:20 AM: Stalled vehicle on the eastbound bridge ramp to northbound I-5.

7:39 AM: The stalled vehicle has cleared.

7:49 AM: One more back-to-school note – remember that Seattle Public Schools have changed bell times again, and are now on a two-tier schedule rather than three. Most schools start either at 7:55 am or 8:55 am – the full districtwide list is here. Also – every Wednesday (except today!) will be an early-release day for the district this year.

8:36 AM: Speaking of Delridge, Tom calls our attention to a power outage around the Delridge/Orchard/Dumar intersection. Here’s the City Light map. There was a “wires down” SFD dispatch there earlier this morning, just before 6; the SCL map says the outage started at 7:12 am, affecting 27 customers, and blames it on a tree. The restoration estimate is just after 11:30 am.

And just for the record, as mentioned in comments, a Metro bus delay in West Seattle, tweeted/texted belatedly:

Thanks for the comment/Twitter updates this morning – provided you’re not behind the wheel/at the handlebars, you can also reach us by text 24/7, 206-293-6302 (which works for voice too).

12:49 PM: Two updates – The Delridge/Orchard outage is over, per the SCL map; the SW Edmunds work west of California now has closed both directions of the street. We’re still awaiting SDOT info on exactly what the project entails.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:47 AM: Good morning! No incidents so far in/from West Seattle.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Here’s where classes are starting today.

STILL 2 BOATS ON TRIANGLE ROUTE: The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth Washington State Ferries route continues on a 2-boat schedule TFN – see it here.

YES, THAT’S ASH: As mentioned in our wildfire-smoke story late last night, ash has been falling too, so if you have a vehicle parked outdoors, you might see that when you get to it this morning.

Thanks to Phil (who also sent the photo) and Lashanna for the tips on this – a mishap involving a boat and trailer along the Avalon/Admiral/etc. onramp to the eastbound West Seattle Bridge. We don’t know the status, as it hasn’t been mentioned in SDOT‘s Twitter traffic reports or on the scanner, but if you’re headed that way, heads-up, just in case.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:20 AM: No incidents in or from West Seattle so far this morning.

FAUNTLEROY-VASHON-SOUTHWORTH FERRIES STILL ON A 2-BOAT SCHEDULE: TFN, because of boat availability.

LOOKING AHEAD TO LABOR DAY ON MONDAY: Metro buses will be on a Sunday schedule; so will the West Seattle Water Taxi (the Vashon Water Taxi will not be in service).

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:10 AM: Thanks for the texts. We start with a crash, confirmed by SDOT, on the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct at Seneca.

And wherever you are headed, watch out for slick roads. @WestSeaWx says “lots of drizzle out there thanks to a thick marine layer that moved in overnight.”

6:23 AM: WSDOT says the crash is blocking the 2 right lanes. Metro is warning of bus delays.

6:45 AM: SDOT says the Viaduct crash has cleared.

7:19 AM: Now there’s a “heavy rescue” response listed as westbound West Seattle Bridge at Delridge. The crash is on/at the offramp, not affecting eastbound traffic. We are off for a closer look.

8 AM: Took a long time to get within view from the north end of Delridge/west end of low bridge, but the scene is still mostly out of photographic range. A bus was on the ramp along with emergency-responder vehicles, but just as our photographer started walking that way across the intersection, the bus left. A car, pointed the wrong way, is partly in view.

SFD has cleared the scene. An SDOT crew is clearing debris.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:35 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported so far in/from West Seattle.

59TH/ADMIRAL ALL-WAY STOP: Last week, we reported that SDOT planned to make the 59th/Admiral change “Monday or Tuesday” of this week. We’ve been checking, and hadn’t seen any work by late Tuesday afternoon. Now we’ve learned crews were working at the intersection late last night. We plan to follow up with a firsthand look in the next hour or so, but in the meantime, if you travel through there, heads-up.

6:54 AM: Still no incidents in the area. One more heads-up – you might see school buses out in force today and tomorrow; a local driver tells us they’ll be practicing their routes, one week in advance of the start of classes at Seattle Public Schools.

7:11 AM: Still incident-free – and cloudy. Meantime, in case you missed it Tuesday evening – the new crosswalk that’s been years in the planning on the west side of Alaska/Fauntleroy/39th is now open.

7:56 AM: Just crossed the bridge, headed toward downtown to cover a court hearing. Aside from a little slowing toward the crest (we enter the bridge from Fauntleroy Way), fairly fast-moving, and 15 minutes after leaving HQ, we’re already on 4th Avenue. One right-lane closure on 4th for the paving project, a bit north of the bridge, and more lane-narrowing near Walker, but no backup.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:29 AM: Good morning! No incidents so far in/from West Seattle.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:28 AM: Good morning! We start with trouble on the bridge. NLB tweeted that a RapidRide C Line bus was broken down, and SDOT now says “a stall” is blocking the right and transit lanes on the eastbound bridge, with the camera image (currently the top right, above) including buses.

6:47 AM: All clear at that scene.

7:35 AM: No other incidents so far. Meantime, an advisory for Metro riders who travel to/from downtown:

During the week of August 28, the shelter, information kiosk, ORCA reader, benches and litter receptacle will be removed from the bus stop on Columbia St just east of 2nd Av in preparation for its September 23 permanent closure.

Prior to September 23, this bus stop will remain open at all times, and routes 21 Express to Arbor Heights, 55 to the Admiral District, 56 to Alki, 57 to Alaska Junction, 120 to Burien and 125 and the RapidRide C Line to Westwood Village will continue to serve this location as usual.

Beginning Saturday, September 23, all of the above routes will serve a new bus stop just east of this location, southbound on 3rd Av just north of Columbia St.

There is no change in routing. All of these routes will continue to operate on Columbia St to the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

8:24 AM: Had to head downtown for a court hearing this morning – bridge traffic wasn’t bad just before 8 am. On 4th Avenue South, the ongoing repaving project is entering its third week. Road crews had lanes blocked just north of S. Stacy St.

11:56 AM: If you’re headed off-peninsula, be aware that a crash is blocking two eastbound lanes of the West Seattle Bridge before 4th Avenue. Thanks to Christian Harris from Sea-Town Real Estate (WSB sponsor) for first word. SDOT also reports a crash blocking a northbound lane on the Alaskan Way Viaduct before Western.

1 PM: Now there’s a second crash on the northbound Viaduct, so you really don’t want to head that way. The bridge crash was down to blocking one lane at last report. And you might not want to try 1st Avenue South as a backup – SDOT says it still has a lane closure at Lander from an earlier crash involving a utility pole, requiring repairs.

2 PM: The crashes have all cleared, per SDOT via Twitter.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:29 AM: Good morning! No incidents so far in/from West Seattle. Here’s what you should know, looking ahead:

SEAHAWKS TONIGHT: The stadium zone will be busy this afternoon/evening – the Seahawks host the Chiefs at 5 pm.

COSMO RUN ON ALKI SUNDAY: The Cosmo 7K/5K – successor to the Alki Beach 5K – will bring a few hours of parking restrictions/road closure on Sunday morning; it starts from Alki Bathhouse at 9:30 am.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:11 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/near West Seattle so far.

WEEKEND REMINDER: Remember that the Cosmo 7K/5K is this Sunday morning (August 27th) along Alki Avenue SW, so be aware of parking restrictions/road closures.

8:16 AM: Crash reported on the eastbound bridge at the exit to NB I-5.

8:52 AM: SDOT says the incident is no longer blocking the ramp – just one lane from the bridge to Columbian Way.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:12 AM: We start with a Metro bus cancellation, just tweeted/texted:

No traffic incidents so far.

SUNDAY ALERT: Reminder that the Cosmo 7K/5K is this Sunday morning (August 27th) along Alki Avenue SW, so watch for parking restrictions/road closures.

7:36 AM: Via Twitter, Sue tells us the lane closures for the 4th Avenue S. repaving project just north of the West Seattle Bridge are starting earlier – the right lane has just closed at Lander.

8:16 AM: Metto just sent an update that the aforementioned last 37 “did operate” — about 35 minutes late.

3:40 PM: We’ve received multiple texts that the “low bridge” is stuck in “open” mode. We haven’t received confirmation from SDOT yet, but webcams show no vehicle traffic crossing it, and the vehicle-blocking gates are down. So if you were headed that way, you might try an alternate route until we verify it’s working again.

3:53 PM: Webcams and scanner both verify the bridge is operating properly again.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:20 AM: If you use southbound Highway 509, be aware that SFD is on the freeway at Cloverdale – we don’t know whether it’s north or south of the entrance from the end of the Roxbury corridor – fighting a car fire.

Also, if you use 1st Avenue S. from/to the West Seattle Bridge and see/saw police, it’s a shooting investigation. (The original dispatch was at 4:39 am.)

That’s it for alerts so far.

8:16 AM SDOT reports a crash at 35th/Holden. The associated SFD call closed quickly.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:30 AM: If you use 26th SW in North Delridge, be aware that some SFD units may still be in the 4700 block and vicinity in the aftermath of an early-morning house fire.

Otherwise – it’s Eclipse Day. If you’re not already taking the day – or at least the morning – off to watch it, remember that near-totality (92 percent coverage) arrives in our area at 10:20 am. Provided the weather cooperates – here in Upper Fauntleroy, we’ve been watching a fog bank advancing this way from Vashon …

Other things you should know about today:

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Ninth-graders start today at Summit Atlas, West Seattle’s first charter school, on the southwest corner of 35th SW and SW Roxbury. That means about 100 students arriving around 8 am. The school also is starting its first year with a sixth-grade class, and their first day is tomorrow. (Here’s Summit Atlas’s calendar.) Our area’s other schools are generally not starting until early September.

4TH AVENUE S. REPAVING: This is the start of the second week for repaving between Spokane St. and the stadiums.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:24 AM: Happy Friday morning! No incidents reported so far, either in West Seattle or on the major outbound routes.

REPAVING CONTINUES: Day 4 of SDOT repaving SW Admiral Way between Lander and Stevens [map].

IN THE STADIUM ZONE: Seahawks vs. Vikings, 7 pm tonight.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:20 AM: Good morning! No current incidents reported in West Seattle or on the major outbound routes.

REPAVING CONTINUES: Day 3 of SDOT repaving SW Admiral Way between Lander and Stevens [map].

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:20 AM: Good morning! No West Seattle (or nearby) incidents or major slowdowns reported so far.

REPAVING CONTINUES: Through Friday, SDOT is repaving SW Admiral Way between Lander and Stevens [map]. The work started yesterday and is scheduled to resume at 9 am today; we’ll be taking a closer look later today.

MARINERS’ DAY GAME: 12:40 pm at Safeco Field, the Mariners host Baltimore.

NEW FIRE STATION 32: And one more reminder … the new FS32 at the site of the old one (37th/38th/Alaska) was occupied as of yesterday, so if you drive/ride/walk SW Alaska, note that for the first time in about 2 years, you might be seeing SFD units roll out of that site.

8:47 AM: SDOT reports a crash at West Marginal Way and SW Spokane. No SFD medic dispatch, though. And if you’re headed to/through downtown, as pointed out in comments, there’s a police incident blocking part of 5th. SPD says they’re using a robot to “check out a suspicious item at 5th and Pike.”

9:04 AM: SPD says the downtown investigation is over and roads are open again.

12:30 PM: If you have to head eastbound onto the West Seattle Bridge – you might want to wait a while:

That collision, reported to involve 2 vehicles and no serious injuries, is on the EB bridge near 4th Avenue South. We’ll update when it’s cleared.

12:40 PM: Fast work – SDOT says the scene is now clear.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:06 AM: Good morning! So far, no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.

REPAVING REMINDER: Today through Friday, SDOT plans to repave SW Admiral Way between Lander and Stevens [map]. The official announcement says work is scheduled 9 am-4 pm daily.

8:59 AM: We also have a report that Fairmount Avenue is closed through the ravine between Alki and Admiral. We’re checking on that – we had a report last night about ongoing tree concerns, not the first time in that area, and had advised the caller to tell SDOT, so we’ll see if that’s what’s happening.

10:02 AM: Just went by – there are “road closed” signs at the top of the ravine but not at the bottom, and the road is open, no sign of a work crew.

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:52 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in/from West Seattle. This morning’s notes:

WATER TAXI BACK: The West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxis are both back in service today; WS resumed service on Saturday. The downtown dock is now north of Colman Dock, and the schedule has changed.

TRIANGLE ROUTE BACK TO 3 BOATS: After being down to 2 boats over the weekend, Washington State Ferries has the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route back to 3 as of today.

4TH AVE. S. REPAVING: A six-month repaving project on 4th Avenue South between Spokane St. (the West Seattle Bridge) and Royal Brougham Way begins this morning. Details are here.

ADMIRAL WAY REPAVING: Tomorrow through Friday, SDOT plans to repave SW Admiral Way between Lander and Stevens. Details are here.

11:38 PM: Just confirmed by driving the eastbound bridge – and SDOT finally tweeted it too – the ramp to NB 99 is closed for a crash investigation. No other details. The crash initially was reported as involving a vehicle “into the barricade.”

12:24 AM: The ramp has reopened.