9:04 AM: The biggest boat on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run, M/V Issaquah, is currently idled for “necessary repairs,” according to Washington State Ferries, so only the Tillikum and the un-mothballed Evergreen State are making the run right now, and that’s led to some cancellations. Best way to see which boat is where is by checking the Vessel Watch page.

11:53 AM: Not fixed yet, and WSF’s newest update says, “Drivers will encounter an estimated 1 hour wait departing the Vashon and Southworth terminals due to heavy vehicle traffic and necessary vessel repairs.”

12:17 PM: WSF has now officially put the two-boat schedule into action.

1:27 PM: Repairs are complete, says WSF, and the route is back to the three-boat schedule.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Friday! No incidents of note so far.

WHAT’S UP THIS WEEKEND: Here’s the citywide preview from SDOT. The Seahawks are in town, playing Carolina at 1:05 pm Sunday.

REMINDER FOR WEEKEND AFTER NEXT: October 31-November 1, 6 am-6 pm each day, Highway 99 will be closed between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel for the annual Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection and some maintenance work.

BUT FIRST, THE BIG BRIDGE MEETING ON MONDAY: 6:30 pm Monday (October 19th), come talk about the West Seattle Bridge-Duwamish Waterway Corridor Action Report and its 27 proposals for addressing area traffic, at the Sisson Building in The Junction (California SW & SW Oregon).

12:19 PM: Thanks for the tips – avoid 8th and Roxbury, where a truck has hit the signal pole on the northeast corner. Officers are directing traffic all ways. SDOT is there evaluating how to fix this. (The truck that hit the pole isn’t in the photo – it’s further north on 8th.)

12:42 PM: Our crew talked with police at the scene. They were talking to the truck driver, though at first take it was clearly a “failed-to-negotiate-the-turn” situation. No one was hurt. We’ll check back in a while to see how repairs and traffic are going.

2:14 PM: Went back through a little while ago. 8th is closed at Henderson, on the south side. The signal is flashing red. West/east Roxbury traffic is going through, albeit a bit slowly.

5 PM: Avoid westbound Roxbury from 8th eastward. Light is flashing red; 8th is still closed north of Rox as repairs continue.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:19 AM: No incidents reported on the major routes through or from West Seattle so far. If you’re headed toward Burien, note that Metro says Route 120 is routed off Ambaum between SW 116th and SW 120th. We’re checking to see what that’s about.

7:35 AM: Metro has just sent an alert that SB Route 120 is back to normal, so whatever that was, it’s resolved.

7:56 AM: SFD crews have just been dispatched to a reported crash on the westbound bridge at the 1st Avenue S. ramps. No other details.

8 AM: SFD units arriving there have not found the “patient” reported by a caller, so they’re clearing the scene.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:05 AM: No incidents on routes through/from West Seattle so far.

7:51 AM UPDATE: SDOT’s newest update on greenway construction in northeast West Seattle:

On Monday, October 12, crews began installing a new storm drain system north of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW, necessitating temporary lane restrictions. Flaggers are stationed at either end of the work zone to direct traffic. This work is expected to be complete in a few days. Bus zones will not be affected. Click here to view construction notice.

Crews will return at the end of October to install curb ramps, sidewalk on the west side of 21st Ave SW, and a new crosswalk just south of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW.

The intersection of 21st Ave SW and SW Genesee St continues to be closed to southbound traffic while crews install new sidewalk and curb ramps. A signed detour is in effect to direct southbound traffic around the work:

· From 21st Ave SW travel east on SW Charlestown St to 20th Ave SW
· Then travel south on 20th Ave SW to SW Genesee St

Click here to view construction notice. Work hours at this intersection are 7 AM to 5 PM.

8:29 AM: Need an ORCA LIFT card? Today, your first chance to use a new weekly West Seattle drop-in spot to get one – info here.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:39 AM: The SDOT cameras are fixed, so the bridge views are back … and backed up, though it’s mostly “just” the rain – the big incidents this morning are NOT on the outbound routes from here, but instead on northbound I-5 *south* of West Seattle (truck crashes at Albro and in Federal Way).

8:05 AM: That said, as pointed out in comments, alternate routes are affected as people divert. Meantime, a transportation-related note on tonight’s calendar: The first and biggest of three City Council forums/debates in West Seattle this week is tonight, and you can expect to hear a lot about transportation since the WS Transportation Coalition is co-presenting with the WS Chamber of Commerce. All are welcome, 6:15 pm mingling, 6:45 pm debating, citywide Positions 8 and 9 first, then West Seattle/South Park District 1 – it’s happening at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way).

9:09 AM: Bridge trouble, per SDOT:

9:22 AM: And don’t take the low bridge as an alternate route right now:

6:58 AM: No incidents so far this morning, in or from West Seattle – but SDOT’s traffic cameras are all out of service, which means, for example, no West Seattle Bridge views – so we’ll rustle up a few more state cameras from around the area to add in the meantime.

7:48 AM: If you’ve traveled on Delridge this morning, you might be wondering about the two police vehicles, lights flashing, parked in the center lane north of the Brandon/Findlay/etc. business district. We’re just back from trying to find out, and also looking into a reported police search on Pigeon Point. The vehicles were unoccupied and we couldn’t find the search, so, no info yet, but look for a Crime Watch followup later. Meanwhile, we CAN report that the 21st SW detour on Pigeon Point is still in effect south of Andover.

8:01 AM: Reminder from Washington State Ferries:

8:06 AM: Ride the Route 50 Metro bus? It’s on the agenda for tonight’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting (6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW).

6:04 PM: If you were headed for Highway 99 any time soon – northbound from here, or southbound toward here, you should know there’s a big problem right now: The Battery Street Tunnel is closed in both directions.

6:16 PM: Scanner indicates the fire suppression system in the tunnel went off though there was no fire, and that a shutoff is in the works – “shouldn’t be long” is the exact quote.

6:55 PM: SDOT says the tunnel is now open again, both ways.

7:37 PM: If you’re using the Washington State Ferries Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route tonight, note that M/V Tillikum is having mechanical trouble, so WSF has cancelled at least three runs, including Vashon 7:35 pm and Fauntleroy 8:00 pm departures.

11:04 PM NOTE: WSF has continued sending alerts about delays throughout the evening – check here for the latest, if you’re heading out.

(Added: Photo by David Hutchinson, seen from Don Armeni)

3:06 PM: As of a few minutes ago, Air Force One had left Eugene and was headed this way, so, as expected, the president should arrive at Boeing Field by 4. He’ll be headed to downtown, and then back to Boeing Field 7-ish. Updates to come.

(Added: Photo courtesy Jonathan – AF1 approaching Boeing Field)

3:43 PM: Air Force One landed a few minutes ago. Northbound I-5 is closed from Albro northward, awaiting the motorcade.

3:56 PM: Regional media at Boeing Field say the motorcade’s heading for downtown. The onramps to I-5 close for this too, so if you’re heading for the eastbound bridge, you can expect to be stopped until President Obama has passed.

4:07 PM: The onramps have reopened, so traffic on NB I-5 should get back to normal again soon. Downtown, you’ll see these restrictions and these bus reroutes until the president’s visit is over. Metro also issued a general alert about “service delays for routes heading south from downtown Seattle.”

6:34 PM: Regional-media coverage indicates the president’s speech is over and he’ll be headed back to Boeing Field momentarily. This WSDOT tweet underscores that:

If you need to get to the east side of the West Seattle Bridge, particularly Southbound I-5, we’d advise waiting a bit.

6:49 PM: The freeway has reopened; the president is at Boeing Field.

7:02 PM: Wheels up for Air Force One, now headed for San Francisco. If you like the behind-the-scenes details, here’s the “daily guidance/press schedule” for today, information routinely published by several news sites.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: One traffic alert to start with – the investigation of a deadly shooting at 4th Avenue S. and Royal Brougham has the northbound lanes of 4th closed. Buses are rerouted off 4th in the area as a result. The shooting happened three hours ago.

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT: Looking ahead to the afternoon/evening commute – President Obama‘s schedule is projected to be about the same as what we were discussing yesterday, arriving at Boeing Field before 4 pm, heading to the Westin downtown for two events, leaving around 7. The transit reroutes planned for the visit are detailed here; the downtown security zone is detailed here. He’ll be coming here from Eugene, OR, where Air Force One will remain during his visit to Roseburg (shuttling via helicopter), so we’ll have a good short-term alert when he’s on the way.

8:01 AM: 4th is now open both ways, per SDOT:

8:05 AM: One weekend traffic reminder for West Seattle – 2-5 pm on Sunday (October 11th), the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is happening at venues on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW. Our preview has details, including the entertainment/activity schedule.

8:11 AM: If you’re headed for southbound I-5 from the West Seattle Bridge, it could get a little problematic – there’s an SFD response at Albro.

8:13 AM: The 4th Ave. S. bus routes that were rerouted earlier are back to normal except for one thing: “The northbound stop just north of Royal Brougham Way remains closed,” per a text from Metro.

8:38 AM: That stop has now reopened.

9:01 AM: All SB I-5 lanes are now open at the scene of the fire call mentioned above, south of the West Seattle Bridge (though two northbound lanes remain blocked).

9:43 AM: From Washington State Ferries:

Starting Monday, Oct. 12, customers are advised to prepare for at least a week of longer than usual wait times due to a temporary vessel downsizing on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route. The temporary downsizing is needed to maintain a 3-boat sailing schedule while the Cathlamet is out of service for its annual maintenance and U.S. Coast Guard inspection. The F/V/S route will be served by the 124-car Issaquah, 87-car Tillikum and 87-car Evergreen State.

(CHECK “PRESIDENTIAL VISIT FRIDAY” BELOW for updated information)

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: No incidents in our area or the nearest outbound routes so far this morning.

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT FRIDAY: After President Obama visits Roseburg, Oregon, tomorrow to meet with families of the college shooting victims, he will be heading this way for a Seattle fundraiser stop. We’ve looked and listened in a variety of places but we’re not finding the schedule yet. (The aviation alert for Eugene, from which he will travel to and from Roseburg by helicopter before heading to Seattle, runs until 3:15 pm, and the one for Seattle runs until 7:30 pm.) **ADDED** Sen. Patty Murray‘s campaign, presenting the Seattle event, says it starts at 5 pm. … **2ND ADD** SPD has some downtown-specific information for Friday here. He’s going to downtown Seattle for a 4:30 pm party roundtable and then the Murray fundraiser, says Channel 7. **3RD ADD** Metro has added some reroutes related to street closures – look for the 10/9 listings here. ** More as we get it.

(back to original traffic watch for the day)

7:38 AM: Still relatively quiet, aside from the usual backups. Transportation headlines from the past day, in case you missed them: Next Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection closure is set for Halloween weekend … Speaking of The Viaduct, did you see the video explaining what’s happening with the tunneling machine? …

8:23 AM – NEED AN ORCA LIFT CARD? If you qualify for the ORCA LIFT discount-transit-fare program but haven’t gotten around to enrolling yet, there’s a new place to do it in West Seattle – the city will have staff at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW) from 1-6 pm every Wednesday starting next week (October 14th). Not sure if you qualify? Check here.

9:40 AM – ONE MORE WEEKEND ALERT: From WSDOT:

10:02 AM: Washington State Ferries says heavy fog has the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run at least half an hour behind schedule right now.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:04 AM: Rain’s back. One incident just reported – a crash toward the east end of the SW Roxbury corridor, at 3rd and Olson.

7:44 AM: The SFD call for that crash has closed.

7:59 AM: As commenters are noting – traffic is just a general mess. As the WSDOT traffic tweeter put it:

8:34 AM: Alert texted/tweeted by Sound Transit: “All ST Express buses are experiencing 20-40 min delays due to slow moving traffic due to the rain and previous collisions or disabled vehicles blocking lanes.” (The Express buses include Route 560, which runs to/from the Westwood area.)

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No incidents of interest to our area, so far.

ROAD WORK ALERT: The city says it’s continuing work at the intersection of 21st Ave SW and SW Genesee St on Pigeon Point (as seen here on Friday) and that the intersection “will be closed to southbound traffic” for a few more days “while crews install new sidewalk and curb ramps. A signed detour will be in effect to direct southbound traffic around the work: From 21st Ave SW travel east on SW Charlestown St to 20th Ave SW; then travel south on 20th Ave SW to SW Genesee St. … Crews have also begun surveying the area where 22nd Ave SW merges into 21st Ave SW. As part of the greenway project, we will install a new sidewalk, pavement and curb ramp.” This is part of the Delridge/Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway project.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Published here on Monday, here’s first word of a big project that will affect one mile of Delridge Way next year – the complete replacement of the streetlight system between Myrtle and Henderson, plus a lighting upgrade for the SW Holden stairway.

(Three WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:41 AM: Good morning! So far this morning, no incidents in West Seattle or on the major outbound routes from here. Big story later will be Monday Night Football, with the Seahawks hosting Detroit, 5:30 pm kickoff at CenturyLink Field. The West Seattle Water Taxi will have extended evening service, with the last run from downtown set to leave at 10:30 pm.

10:32 AM – WEEKEND PREVIEW ADDED: Quiet morning so far. But alerts for the week ahead will likely be emerging – like this one from WSDOT, of note if you use I-90:

Westbound traffic between Bellevue Way and Rainier Avenue South will be reduced to one lane and detoured to the I-90 express lanes from 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12. Drivers heading to Mercer Island must exit westbound I-90 at East Mercer Way. There are no westbound exits to Mercer Island from the express lanes.

Since it’s westbound, it won’t cause an I-5 backup like the earlier eastbound work did, but still something you’ll want to know about if you’re crossing the lake over the weekend.

10:11 PM: If you’re heading back this way, southbound, sometime soon – you’ll want to avoid I-5. A crash on southbound I-5 by the West Seattle Bridge is blocking all lanes, with rescuers working to get people out of vehicles and at least five people hurt. We can’t quite tell if it’s affecting the exit from the eastbound bridge but it is definitely backing up southbound I-5 from some point north of the bridge. More to come.

10:31 PM: The image above is from earlier, when the WSDOT camera was showing the scene more closely. You can check the “live” camera here.

10:46 PM: Still blocking SB I-5 – SFD says one person has serious injuries and four have minor injuries – and the traffic snarl is compounded now that the Mariners’ game is over. And just in from the State Patrol:

11:03 PM: SFD has cleared the scene and WSDOT says some traffic is now getting through:

12:32 AM: WSP and WSDOT report the freeway’s clear again. No life-threatening injuries, per WSP.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. So far, no incidents in the area. Two notes:

BRIDGE REPAIR WORK POSTPONED: The road-repair work that was to close one lane each way toward the Fauntleroy end of the West Seattle Bridge from tonight through Sunday has been postponed, Seattle Public Utilities says. No new date yet.

MONDAY ADVANCE ALERT: The city sends early word that – if you weren’t already well aware – the Seahawks are on Monday Night Football this coming week, so the stadium zone will be very busy Monday evening. 5:30 pm game.

…AND BEFORE THEN: The city’s official weekend preview reminds us that the Mariners are closing the season out at home, 7:10 pm tonight, 6:10 pm Saturday, and 12:10 pm Sunday, while the Sounders host L.A. at 6:40 pm Sunday.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No incidents so far this morning, in West Seattle or on the primary outbound routes. But we do have a bus-trip cancellation:

Our followup with Metro, originally scheduled for last Thursday but postponed because of the Aurora Bridge crash, is now set for today – any specific questions or observations, please comment or e-mail us – thank you. By the way, video of the City Council meeting at which the cancellations were discussed is finally up, here.

BRIDGE WORK THIS WEEKEND: If you missed the announcement – road repair following Seattle Public Utilities sewer work is scheduled to start 7 pm Friday and continue through Sunday, closing the inside lane in each direction on the Fauntleroy end of the bridge.

8:52 AM NOTE – TRAFFIC TALK: So far, still no incidents. So we’re mentioning that a participant in the WSB Forums has opened a general “traffic talk” topic, if you’re looking for a place to discuss (and/or vent) not tied to a daily issue/incident – find it here.

**UPDATE: SPU SAYS THIS IS POSTPONED**

Planning your weekend? This might be of interest, just out of the inbox:

Seattle Public Utilities is conducting roadway panel replacement on the West Seattle Bridge/Fauntleroy Way SW Express ramp heading eastbound and westbound. From Friday, October 2 at 7:00 pm to the evening of Sunday, October 4, crews will repair the roadway following an emergency sewer repair project in the same location. The inside eastbound and inside westbound lane will be closed during this time and drivers should allow extra time for their trips due to possible congestion in this area.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No incidents so far on the routes through or from West Seattle.

TONIGHT – DELRIDGE GREENWAY/NATURAL DRAINAGE INFO: One transportation-related meeting tonight, a “drop-in session” at the Salvation Army in South Delridge (9050 16th SW), 6-7:30 pm, with information about the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway – which is under construction – and the Delridge Natural Drainage System project, which is about to get going.

7:19 AM: Speaking of South Delridge, SDOT reports a crash at Delridge/Cloverdale. No SFD dispatch at this point. (Not hearing anything about it on the scanner, either.)

7:25 AM: Multiple reports via comments and Twitter of a long-running low-bridge opening:

The cargo ship Elliott Bay is what’s going through, according to MarineTraffic.com. The day’s highest high tide was just about 10 minutes ago.

7:30 AM: The low bridge is open for surface traffic again. If you’re new, there’s a big backstory with the city attempting to keep the bridge from opening for maritime traffic during rush hours; the US Coast Guard has said no multiple times over the years – some history here and here. The sixth of 27 possibilities in the new West Seattle Bridge-Duwamish Waterway Corridor “action report” suggests “developing a relationship” with vessel operators so that in case of an incident affecting traffic elsewhere in the corridor, they can at least get “early warnings” of the bridge opening for maritime traffic. (That’s one topic you might want to discuss at the just-announced meeting about the report and the corridor, 6:30 pm October 19th.)

7:49 AM: The “low bridge” is open again but that’s not showing on the @SDOTBridges twitter account. We happened to hear Harbor Island-bound emergency vehicles (checking out a fire alarm) mention it over the air as a reason they’ll be delayed.

8:28 AM: Via e-mail, reader says the bus-lane-enforcement officer is/has been out again today.

6:50 PM: If you’re just about to head this way – you might consider 1st, 4th, the low bridge, or I-5 because of a crash at the southbound 99 ramp to the westbound high bridge. SFD has just cleared, but police are still there.

6:59 PM: SDOT says the scene has cleared but “residual delays” are likely for a while.

8:34 PM: In comments, KJB says a hit-run driver is to blame and is asking for help if anyone’s seen a “silver wagon-type” vehicle with “significant damage to the passenger front.”