7:18 AM: Thanks to the person who just texted to share two alerts – first, the Delridge onramp to the eastbound bridge is flooded, they report, so if you’re headed that way, go slowly. Second, they saw city crews out working on the bridge – as SDOT first warned on Thursday, they’re out today replacing the cameras, and that’s expected to cause “rolling lane closures” until mid-afternoon.

7:37 AM: Now there’s word of a tree that’s fallen onto wires, blocking a road east of Lincoln Park, on Hemlock west of 45th:

A crew’s already on scene, according to the person who sent word with that photo. And that’s a reminder – if you encounter an emergency, road-blocking situation like this (tree, wires, debris), SDOT wants you to call its 24-hour hotline at 206-386-1218.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7 AM: Windy and wet out there, as forecast. No major incidents on area roads, though. If you passed through Morgan Junction the past half-hour or so and noticed a big police presence near California/Holly, we’ve just found out what that was about – a traffic stop for a car resembling one linked to a potentially armed suspect in a possible domestic-violence situation; all over now, but after several tips (thank you!) we did find one officer still in the area to ask.

7:12 AM: The I-5/West Seattle Bridge interchange has multiple problems right now, reported in both northbound and southbound directions. Not entirely clear exactly how the eastbound bridge offramps are affected as a result, but just know things are a bit of a tangle.

7:16 AM: Some happy commute news – the ferry from Vashon to Fauntleroy just passed some orcas headed southbound, according to Mary. Too murky out there to see them from a distance right now.

7:35 AM: Speaking of the weather, the “wind advisory” alert was shortened overnight, and is now set to expire at 10 am – six hours earlier than the original alert. So things should calm down before too long.

SATURDAY TRAFFIC-ALERT REMINDER: SDOT will have crews out replacing traffic cameras on the bridge, so you might find rolling lane closures – here’s the alert we published Thursday.

9:28 AM: Emergency responders are checking out a reported spinout on the Delridge offramp from the westbound bridge.

9:49 AM: Some tense moments related to that situation (related to initial, eventually unfounded reports thinking gunshots were heard) but it’s now resolved; the person in the car is getting checked out, and – we can see from below the ramp – a tow truck is on scene to clear the vehicle, which came to a stop facing the wrong way:

9:55 AM: And as pointed out in comments, the wind advisory has now been re-extended, until 3 pm.

NOON: Car fire at Olson/Myers is causing some slowing at the east end of the Roxbury corridor, per tipster on our text/voice hotline, 206-293-6302 (thanks!).

1:11 PM: Just in from SDOT:

Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation have been installing new, upgraded traffic cameras on the West Seattle Bridge and Spokane Street Viaduct between Southwest Avalon Way and I-5 and expect to complete the work this Saturday. Drivers can expect rolling lane closures both in eastbound and westbound lanes on Saturday from 5 a.m. until the work is completed, now estimated by midafternoon.

Once installed, the upgraded cameras will then need to be connected to the internet. Traffic engineers expect to have them up and operating by the middle of next week.

The public will be able to access both still and streaming images from the new cameras once they are operating. Links to the views will be available on SDOT’s Travelers Information web page.

We’re checking with SDOT on whether these are just replacement cameras or additions to the current bridge views (which you can see on the WSB Traffic page, when they’re working).

1:21 PM UPDATE: SDOT spokesperson Marybeth Turner replies that these are replacements for current cameras, not new views.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:04 AM: While the weather’s fairly calm now, if the alerts are accurate, it could be a different situation when you head home this afternoon/evening, so be prepared for wind and rain. One alert for tonight and the evenings ahead:

NIGHTTIME TRAFFIC ALERT: From the project team for The Whittaker (Fauntleroy/Alaska/40th/Edmunds):

We will be working on the Edmunds Street Crossing along Fauntleroy Way starting (tonight). During the night time work on Edmunds, 40th to Fauntleroy will be closed. Once the time is up for each night, then it will be plated for traffic during the day. This work is anticipated to take about 1 week and should be completed by Friday 11/20 next week weather permitting. There will likely be some additional restoration to do after next Friday, but that would be on the sidewalks, and not in the street.

This is expected to last approximately 7-10 pm nightly.

8:30 AM: Still a quiet commute in/from West Seattle.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Some changes for the holiday:

*No school
*Metro’s on a “reduced weekday” schedule
*No West Seattle Water Taxi

NIGHTTIME TRAFFIC ALERT: The project team for The Whittaker (Fauntleroy/Alaska/40th/Edmunds) has forwarded this alert:

We will be working on the Edmunds Street Crossing along Fauntleroy Way starting this Thursday night. During the night time work on Edmunds, 40th to Fauntleroy will be closed. Once the time is up for each night, then it will be plated for traffic during the day. This work is anticipated to take about 1 week and should be completed by Friday 11/20 next week weather permitting. There will likely be some additional restoration to do after next Friday, but that would be on the sidewalks, and not in the street.

1:14 PM: Per scanner, and thanks to the texter who tipped us, SDOT and SPD will be closing eastbound bridge access from 35th/Fauntleroy shortly to fix another dislocated barrier section, described as being near Walking On Logs.

1:25 PM: Traffic is stopped both ways by the worksite so the barrier can be fixed. Doesn’t sound like it will take too long.

1:34 PM: SDOT says the bridge has reopened both ways.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:48 AM: The morning starts with a rollover crash on I-5 in downtown Seattle. It’s on the southbound side, at the Convention Center, blocking three lanes, but there’s likely some related slowdown on the northbound side too.

6:57 AM: With no major injuries reported, emergency responders have moved the flipped car off to the side, leaving only one southbound HOV lane blocked.

VETERANS DAY TOMORROW: Advance reminder that tomorrow’s a holiday, with schools closed, which will change transportation conditions.

DELRIDGE/HIGHLAND PARK GREENWAY UPDATE: This project continues in eastern West Seattle; the project team sent this update late yesterday:

Crews have installed curb ramps, curb extensions and a new crosswalk just south of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW. Beginning this week, crew will pour concrete sidewalks on the east side of 21st Ave SW. Additional construction at this intersection will include preparing the west side of the intersection for curb ramps, curb extensions and sidewalk widening. Weather permitting, this work is expected to take two weeks.

Beginning as early as November 16, crews will begin preparing the site at 15th Ave SW and SW Holden St for curb ramp and curb installations, painting the crosswalks on the east and west side of the intersection, and installing pedestrian flashing beacons on either side of the crosswalks. Weather permitting, this work is expected to take three weeks to complete.

Lots of project info can be found here.

7:31 AM: Text tip (206-293-6302) says there’s water gushing onto the road in the 4800 block of W. Marginal Way SW, and cars are going too fast as they hit it.

7:53 AM: WSF says the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route has reduced capacity today while the Issaquah is out for maintenance.

7:55 AM: Commenters are saying same thing as this tweet:

No alert via text or tweet. Metro said yesterday that the trip cancellation – much-discussed in Monday’s “Traffic/Transit Today” comments – came too late for warning.

8:14 AM: Commenter on a recent orca-sighting story reports, “A big pod of killer whales just showed off for the passengers on the 7:50 ferry to Southworth! Huge pod going south!” Don’t know if that means south into the west or east passage around Vashon Island, but we are now alerted to orcas in the area – keep watch and let us know if you see them!

8:35 AM: Heads up for freeway work overnight tonight, near the West Seattle Bridge exit from southbound I-5:

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:14 AM: No major incidents on the routes through/from West Seattle right now, but if you use 4th Avenue to get into downtown, be advised there’s a crash at Royal Brougham Way – SDOT says it’s on the southbound side, but that still could cause some slow going until it’s cleared.

ALERTS: Morgan Junction sidewalk work is set to continue today – here’s our coverage from Thursday, when it began; right now crews are on the north end of the block, west side of California, just south of Fauntleroy, but the businesses ARE open – and the ones in this building all have access from the lot behind the building … Thanks to the texter who told us about weekend work that closed 21st SW near Sanislo Elementary; we’re checking on its status today.

7:57 AM: The 4th Ave. crash is cleared. Still no other incidents reported along WS commuters’ main routes.

8:17 AM: In comments, we have two reports of Route 57 missing a trip. No text or tweet alerts from Metro in this area so far this morning. And this is also from a Route 57 rider, via Twitter:

Also tweeted, C Line trouble – no bus at 7:45, says Nate, and then:

Metro had acknowledged when we visited the local “bases” for this story that not all missed trips were resulting in alerts. So please keep letting us know what you’re experiencing, so we can keep track for followups – on weekdays, commenting here on the daily traffic/transit story is ideal, but you can also e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com.

12:33 PM: Metro explains via Twitter:

2:54 PM: Two traffic alerts right now as of just before 3 pm – we’re getting multiple reports of a backup on the westbound high bridge – apparently a lane closure without warning, but SDOT says it’ll be reopened shortly. Meantime, the Battery Street Tunnel has been closed both ways for a crash response.

3:01 PM: SDOT says the lane closure was for “maintenance.” Meantime – not related so far as we know – the BSTunnel remains closed TFN.

7:03 PM NOTE: The tunnel did finally fully reopen by 5:30.

11:07 AM: If you have to use the eastbound bridge, be forewarned that the Fauntleroy entrance is backed up right now (11:07 am) for repairs. They’re fixing a barrier section knocked out by an earlier collision.

11:51 AM: The repairs are complete and it’s OK to use the Fauntleroy Way entrance to the eastbound bridge again. Thanks to those who reported this via text – 206-293-6302 any time.

Via Twitter, SDOT just published an alert about road work closing the left lane on the eastbound bridge at Delridge. We don’t know how long it’s going to last – SDOT confirmed it’s “unplanned” work – but will watch for updates (and you can too, at twitter.com/seattledot). Right now, as we publish this at 10:08 am, the camera above, looking west at the eastbound side, is showing the work crew.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:43 AM: We start with a transit alert, first one tweeted for a West Seattle trip cancellation in a while:

MORGAN JUNCTION SIDEWALK PROJECT: Today will be the second day of sidewalk work on the west side of California SW south of Fauntleroy. The businesses remain open and accessible.

7:33 AM: Still no incidents through/from West Seattle. So here’s a transportation-news note: SDOT is redesigning its website. If you use it and have some suggestions of what you’d like to see changed/added/etc., the city has a survey for you, and a focus-group invitation.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:05 AM: As we head for the heart of the commute, a problem on NB I-5 downtown – a crash in the collector-distributor lanes at James Street – has just cleared, but as always, there’ll be residual backup.

7:52 AM: Different kind of “commuter alert” for Vashon ferry riders – orca sighting! That’s our second report that some orcas are heading south between Vashon and Lincoln Park right now. Publishing a separate update shortly.

12:07 PM: If you’re on the peninsula today, we’d advise avoiding California south of Edmunds – road is narrowed because of crews working on it, and it’ll take you a while to get through – we saw backups in big directions and, while headed northbound toward The Junction, managed to duck onto westbound Hudson to get around it. These types of projects don’t usually get preceded with alerts so if you see anything major, please let us know so we can share the word – we don’t always happen onto them as we did this one.

More expansion-joint trouble on southbound I-5 just north of the West Seattle Bridge, so WSDOT has just issued this alert:

If you’ll be heading this way from points north during those hours, you’ll probably want to use another route, such as SB 99.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:20 AM: No outbound incidents but if you are headed southbound toward West Seattle – don’t take I-5 – WSDOT is doing emergency joint repairs right by the WS Bridge, and that’s led to a mega-backup. WSDOT tells us the work is north of the eastbound bridge exit to southbound I-5, so it should NOT affect people exiting from the eastbound bridge.

8:57 AM: The repairs are complete, according to WSDOT. But it’ll take some time for the double-digit-mile backup to clear out, so travel in this direction from downtown northward is still a better bet on alternate routes.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No incidents in/from West Seattle so far this morning.

ELECTION DAY: You’re likely to see signwaving along your commute route – today’s Election Day, aka voting-deadline day; get your ballot in by tonight (best way to guarantee it’ll count is to get it to a drop spot by 8 pm).

7:48 AM: Very localized showers out there – we went through one that lasted about four blocks.

8:17 AM: As commenters point out, slow going everywhere. Also, for the second day in a row, a texter reports a jackknifed bus in the Brace Point/Endolyne intersection.

9:08 AM: Just went by; bus cleared.

11:00 AM: Still showery weather. Here’s the Instagram video we mentioned in comments, from around 8:20 this morning:

(Mouse over the image to bring up the “play” button so you can click it. Instagram clips are :15 max, and in most cases loop, so you’ll have to click the image again to stop it.)

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:17 AM: There’s a crash response at Fauntleroy/Avalon – not sure yet how it’s affecting traffic there (if at all); the initial SFD response was big but closed fast. We’re en route to look.

7:35 AM: Whatever it was, it’s gone – our crew’s not seeing anything except the usual heavy morning traffic.

8:25 AM: Thanks for the tips on a jack-knifed Metro bus that’s causing trouble in Fauntleroy’s Endolyne area, right by the mini-business district there:

(Thanks to James Bratsanos for that photo.)

12:21 PM: The closure is because of a crash on the bridge parallel with Admiral Way. It’s only affecting the Fauntleroy entrance – you can get on the eastbound bridge from the Admiral/Avalon/Spokane and Delridge ramps. Thanks to Jonathan for the texted tip! (And this photo:)

12:28 PM: Per scanner, police are hoping to have one eastbound lane open soon, so everybody stuck behind this shouldn’t be stuck too much longer. But some cleanup/repairs will be needed too – apparently the crash knocked out part of the barrier.

12:41 PM: The lane has reopened, so the bridge entrance has too, but it might be slow going for a while.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:06 AM: Good morning! No incidents in the area so far this morning.

BIG WEEKEND REMINDER, AGAIN: Saturday and Sunday, 6 am-6 pm each day, WSDOT plans to close the Alaskan Way Viaduct for its semiannual inspection – the closure will stretch from the West Seattle Bridge to the Battery Street Tunnel.

7:51 AM: Still quiet. Reminder that Halloween happenings are about to get going in a big way – they’re listed in our Halloween Guide, including Admiral District Trick-or-Treating 3-6 pm Friday. (Forecast sounds as if rainproof costumes, or at least umbrellas, will be in order, maybe a rain cover for the treat totes too …)

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:30 AM: Good morning! We start with reminders and previews:

SHORT SCHOOL DAY: Classes end two hours early today for students in Seattle Public Schools, so watch for buses, walkers, riders, and earlier-than-usual flashing beacons.

SOUNDERS FC TONIGHT: Playoff game vs. LA at CenturyLink Field, 7 pm. No extended West Seattle Water Taxi service, since the WT is now on its winter schedule.

HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURES THIS WEEKEND: This Saturday and Sunday, Highway 99 will close 6 am-6 pm each day between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel for its twice-yearly inspection, as well as some other work (including testing of the repaired fire-suppression system in the BSTunnel).

9:13 AM: Quiet morning commute in/from West Seattle, but now Eddie reports a jack-knifed Route 55 bus at 44th/Alaska. We are on the way to find out more.

9:20 AM: Just as our photographer arrived, the bus cleared the intersection.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:12 AM: Metro says delays related to a crash downtown, in which a bus hit a pedestrian – who was not seriously hurt – are subsiding. No other incidents affecting this area so far.

FERRY REMINDER: M/V Salish continues on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run in place of the twice-the-vehicle-capacity M/V Issaquah, so delays are continuing.

SHORT SCHOOL DAY TOMORROW: Seattle Public Schools students have an early-release day tomorrow (Wednesday), and will be out two hours earlier than usual.

WEEKEND REMINDERS: Next Saturday and Sunday, the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed 6 am-6 pm each day for its twice-yearly inspection. And Saturday night is also when we’ll “fall back” an hour for the end of Daylight Saving Time.

8:10 AM: SDOT’s traffic center says an aid response on SW Morgan at Lanham might cause some delays. No word whether it’s eastbound or westbound.

8:54 AM: Some hope for the ferry run returning to normal soon: