West Seattle, Washington
27 Monday
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
All’s well on the roads and trails so far as we’re seeing and hearing. And the forecast still says this will be even more spring-like than Thursday.
Two notes:
DELRIDGE/ORCHARD/DUMAR SPU WORK: Seattle Public Utilities says the “intermittent 15-minute full closures on SW Orchard St. will be wrapping up this week as planned. Moving forward, traffic will occasionally be stopped momentarily to let trucks in and out, but we do not anticipate significant delays.” The westbound lane on Orchard east of Delridge will stay closed 7:30 am-4 pm seven days a week through the end of April, with a flagger to help you get around that.
UPCOMING SOUTH PARK BRIDGE, ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT CLOSURES: If you missed this update published Thursday – two weeks of early-early-morning closures are ahead for the South Park Bridge, and we have more details of the late-March Highway 99 closure.
8:03 AM: Port-truck traffic is backing up on Marginal again today, according to Helga in comments, plus what we’re hearing via the scanner.
From SDOT‘s weekly “lookahead,” just out:
SOUTH PARK BRIDGE OVERNIGHT SURFACE-TRAFFIC CLOSURES: Thanks to the tipster who let us know this morning that a mobile sign had gone up on the South Park Bridge with news of upcoming overnight closures. That put us on the lookout for the details that are in the “lookahead” – Monday through Friday nights (technically Tuesday-Saturday mornings, March 17-21) next week, the bridge will be closed to surface traffic 12:01 am-5 am. The closures are scheduled to repeat a week later, same times, March 24-28. (added) As explained by the county: “The closure will be confined to the overnight hours and will allow the contractor to complete bridge painting and finishing work in areas accessible only when the bridge is partially open. While work is underway, the waterway will remain open to recreational vessels that don’t require full openings to clear the bridge. Because the work will be performed overnight, traffic impacts should be minimal.”
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT INSPECTION CLOSURE: When first word of the March 28-29 closure emerged last Monday, WSDOT wasn’t able to tell us whether it would be a full weekend closure or “all day Saturday plus all day Sunday.” Looks like it’s the latter; the “lookahead” lists the closure as 6 am-6 pm each day, Saturday 3/28 and Sunday 3/29, at least for the stretch between the West Seattle Bridge and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel. However, it also mentions that both directions of 99 will be closed between the north end of the tunnel and Valley Street from 10 pm Friday 3/27 to 5 am Monday 3/30 for utility work.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
It’s been another routine commute so far. Two notes:
47TH/ADMIRAL WORK CONTINUES: The photo is from Wednesday morning, as work ramped up on the north side of the intersection. More details on the project page.
35TH SW CHANGES: Missed the meeting Tuesday night at which SDOT revealed two “design alternatives” plus the plan to lower the speed limit? A daytime edition of the presentation is set for today, 3:15 pm in the upstairs meeting room at Southwest Branch Library (35th/Henderson). Bring your questions. If you can’t go to this one either, feedback goes to jim.curtin@seattle.gov.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! No big problems so far, but the roads are wet – the rain started around 11 last night and is expected to continue on and off through tonight. Road-work alerts and transportation news:
47TH/ADMIRAL SIGNAL/CROSSWALKS: As previewed by SDOT, the first day of work on Tuesday did indeed involve surveying. As soon as today, they’ll move on to concrete-cutting for curb ramps. (8:53 am note: We just heard from City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who confirms that the work has intensified today; he led the council in pushing to fully fund this light.)
35TH SW SAFETY PROPOSALS: Last night brought Stage 2 of the 35th SW Safety Project – “design alternatives” unveiled by the city. If you weren’t there, see our coverage here.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! We start the day with updates …
47TH/ADMIRAL SIGNAL WORK BEGINS: As noted here last night, SDOT says prep work for the 47th/Admiral signal (and new crosswalks and curb ramps) starts today.
99 LANE CLOSURES POSTPONED: If you missed the news at midday Monday, WSDOT heeded the suggestions that it postpone the Highway 99 lane closures that were supposed to start tomorrow and run for weeks north of downtown, since the work is for something that won’t even be needed until the tunnel is finished.
NEXT INSPECTION CLOSURE, MARCH 28-29: Same link as above – the morning briefing also included word that the next Viaduct inspection closure (the kind they’ve been doing twice a year dating way back before the tunnel project) is set for March 28-29. We’re still waiting for the hours – whether it’ll be an all-weekend closure or a “daytime only” as had been done recently.
Work will start tomorrow on the 47th/Admiral traffic signal and other pedestrian-safety components.
A week and a half ago, SDOT announced the project could start “as soon as” this week, and now we have the alert with details of what’s ahead:
The Seattle Department of Transportation will begin work to install a new traffic signal, new crosswalks and upgraded curb ramps at the five-leg intersection of 47th Avenue SW and SW Admiral Way at SW Waite Street. Crews will work at this location for up to four months.
Residents, businesses and travelers can expect to see crews and equipment in the area beginning tomorrow, March 10. Construction will begin with survey work and site preparation. Crews will begin saw cutting at the northeast corner of 47th Avenue SW and SW Admiral Way as soon as Wednesday, March 11, with demolition of the northeast corner to follow on Thursday, March 12. “No park” signs will be placed around the work zones prior to the start of work. We will notify adjacent properties prior to the start of work at a given corner.
Crews will begin work to demolish the existing curbs and prepare to set the foundation for new signal equipment. Crews will continue to work in preparation for installation of the signal but there may be a lull of activity between the corner work and installation of the new signal. The existing overhead pedestrian signal will remain in place until the new signal is operational and the crosswalks are marked. No impacts are expected to adjacent Metro bus stops.
During construction you can expect:
· Construction activity from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday to Friday
· Pedestrian and bicycle detours around work areas
· Temporary lane and parking restrictions during off-peak travel times on 47th Avenue SW, SW Admiral Way and SW Waite Street
· Noise, dust and vibration associated with concrete removal and pavingIf you have questions or concerns during construction, contact Rachel McCaffrey, construction outreach lead, at rachel.mccaffrey@seattle.gov or 206-615-0925.
According to the city website, the contractor is CA Carey of Issaquah, awarded the contract for $352,026. That’s close to the projected $350,000 cost, but considerably less than expected when the City Council decided in 2013 to fully fund the signal. SDOT says the work will last about three months.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! As we get going with this morning’s commute watch, several road-work alerts and other transportation-related notes for the week ahead:
53RD AVENUE PUMP STATION: Seattle Public Utilities announced a week of work on the waterfront pump station, affecting the sidewalk and road at 53rd/Alki – here’s the notice.
47TH/ADMIRAL TRAFFIC SIGNAL: The city has announced that work could start as soon as this week – here’s the notice.
15TH/ROXBURY CABLE INSTALLATION: The mobile sign for this work was changed by week’s end, saying it’s been extended through Wednesday (instead of ending by last Friday).
DELRIDGE/ANDOVER/23RD WORK CONTINUES: Here’s the notice.
If you spot major West Seattle road work that’s *not* on our list, please let us know so we can include it. Also of note this week:
HIGHWAY 99 NORTH OF DOWNTOWN: Northbound 99 from the Battery Street Tunnel to Valley Street, the highway will be closed overnight tonight. Then starting Wednesday morning, several weeks of lane closures in both directions will begin, north of the tunnel. It’s all related to the ongoing Highway 99 project; an overall update is expected at this morning’s City Council meeting, just after 10 am, and WSDOT plans to brief reporters at the tunnel-machine repair pit early this afternoon.
HACK THE COMMUTE: If you’re tech-expert or tech-inclined and want to be part of the upcoming local Hack The Commute hackathon on March 20th, sign up fast.
8:29 AM: A little trouble on northbound 5, per WSDOT via Twitter:
A collision has the left lane of NB 5 south of Seneca blocked. pic.twitter.com/TvGdSxEg9c
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 9, 2015
P.S. Just to make sure you saw it – the lane closures on 99, mentioned above, are now ON HOLD TILL FURTHER NOTICE. But the overnight closure tonight is still on.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No alerts so far this morning. One big reminder for next week and beyond:
HIGHWAY 99 LANE CLOSURES: The long-term lane closures just north of downtown are now expected to start next Wednesday. And next Monday night into Tuesday morning, northbound 99 will close completely starting at the Battery Street Tunnel. Details here.
8:32 AM NOTE: Still a relatively quiet commute today!
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Heading into the heart of the commute – no major glitches, just the usual slow spots.
TIME CHANGE ALERT: With the weekend in view, it’s time to start talking about what’s ahead. Saturday night/Sunday morning at 2 am, it’ll become 3 am – time to “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: Good morning – clear and cold to start the day; no surprises on the outbound roads so far.
7:15 AM: Since it’s quiet, we took a look at the camera showing the Highway 99 tunnel-machine continuing to advance into its rescue pit:
You can see the newest view any time here. No formal update from WSDOT yet this week.
ADDED 10:25 AM: Didn’t realize when we grabbed that image that the machine has now reached the point where it’s stopping for repairs. WSDOT has since published this update, saying the “disassembly process will likely take weeks.”
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. No reports of trouble in this area so far. One more reminder of the road projects now ongoing:
*Delridge/Andover/23rd – safety improvements
*Delridge/Orchard – ongoing utility work
*15th/Roxbury – underground fiber
*Fauntleroy ferry terminal – north lane closed for work at adjacent pump station
7:42 AM: Via Twitter, Sue reports what seems to be a sunshine slowdown on the high bridge; still quiet otherwise. If you know someone who lost their keys, by the way, there’s a “found” notice in the WSB Forums – keys found near 35th/Thistle.
9:15 AM: Jana reports a crash on the shoulder on the eastbound incline of the high bridge, and also that ramp traffic in general is still backed up.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning and welcome to the first weekday in March. No trouble spots reported so far but we do have road-work reminders for projects that were previously announced as starting today (we’ll be checking later):
-Delridge/Andover/23rd safety improvements – details here
-15th/Roxbury lane closures for fiber installation – details here
-Lane closure at Fauntleroy dock for Barton Pump Station Upgrade next door – details here
METRO FARE CHANGES NOW IN EFFECT: Sunday was the first day of the new fares for Metro – a 25-cent increase in regular fares, and the availability of the new ORCA LIFT reduced fare for those who qualify.
8:28 AM: Still uneventful. One “in case you missed it” link – our full report from the West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting is up, with details including the new SDOT transit-division director Paulo Nunes-Ueno‘s conversation with WSTC, and other updates. Read it here.
One more reminder in case you’re heading north this morning: Highway 99 is scheduled to be closed both ways from the Battery Street Tunnel to N. 47th for the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K, 6 am-11 am.
Even with our every-weekday-morning traffic watches, we somehow managed to miss the alerts about this weekend’s eastbound I-90 closure – explained by WSDOT here:
The resulting backup/slow going from the eastbound bridge to northbound I-5 to (and on) eastbound I-90 caught us by surprise as we headed out to Bellevue to cover the Seattle Lutheran HS boys’ basketball postseason game. All vehicles are routed onto the express lanes, and that added 15+ minutes until the logjam broke just past the Mount Baker Tunnel. So in short: Eastbound I-90 is not completely closed, but it’s constricted for the weekend, and you’ll want to allow extra time.
P.S. And remember one more alert we HAVE shared a few times – 6-11 am Sunday, Highway 99 is closed at the Battery Street Tunnel and northward because of the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K
Followup on a traffic alert mentioned in our daily transportation watch: It started with a tip from Erika, after a sign went up on Roxbury warning of lane closures all next week, and led us to both the city and county transportation departments to get details. We finally have the full explanation from KCDOT: 200 feet of underground fiber-optic installation starting next Monday “will require the closure of one southbound through lane on 15th Avenue SW north of Roxbury and a northbound left turn lane on 15th Avenue SW at Roxbury. Work is planned 9 am to 3 pm weekdays March 2 through March 6.” That’s in addition to other installation work in White Center that’s not likely to affect traffic that much; those details are on our partner site White Center Now.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning; watch for major puddles this morning after the all-night rainfall. Looking ahead to the weekend and beyond:
METRO FARE CHANGES SUNDAY: Explained here.
SUNDAY MORNING 99 CLOSURE: Just north of downtown, for the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K – details here.
Road work reminders, continuing/starting next week:
DELRIDGE/ORCHARD: The utility work on the east side of the intersection will bring traffic to a full stop for intervals, Seattle Public Utilities announced in an update yesterday.
DELRIDGE/ANDOVER: Monday is the newest start date for this work to boost safety at the north end of Delridge.
LANE CLOSURE ON ROXBURY EAST OF 16TH: Thanks to Erika for spotting the sign warning of a lane closure on Roxbury next Monday-Friday. By day’s end yesterday, we had heard back from SDOT, saying it’s a county permit issued for a fiber contractor, and we’re still tracking details of which lane(s) and when.
7:41 AM: Traffic alert for an aid call at 24th/Thistle, near Chief Sealth International High School. One SFD engine. No details so far.
7:57 AM: That call has closed. No current trouble spots around our area.
8:11 AM: And that has changed – thanks to the person who just called (thank you! 206-293-6302 any time, text or voice) to report a car stalled in the bus lane on Avalon Way.
Update this morning on traffic effects of the Seattle Public Utilities project at Delridge/Orchard – the next two weeks will see some road closures in addition to ongoing lane closures:
Seattle Public Utilities is continuing sewer improvements along SW Orchard Street between Delridge Way SW and Dumar Way SW. Excavation and installation work is underway and will take several months to complete. Work will occur from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday east of the intersection of Delridge Way SW and SW Orchard Street.
The work will require the closure of the westbound lane on SW Orchard Street (east of Delridge Way SW). The lane will remain closed Monday through Sunday, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. through the end of April, and will be opened to traffic after non-work hours. During the closure, all westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane with the assistance of a traffic flagger.
Starting February 26th, and continuing for two weeks, SW Orchard Street between Delridge Way SW and Dumar Way SW will be fully closed to traffic intermittently for 15 minute intervals during work hours to allow for delivery of materials.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Heading into the heart of the morning commute, no problems reported on West Seattle roads or the major outbound paths.
ROAD WORK: We don’t have a report from the area so far today but Don Brubeck reports work was under way Wednesday on East Marginal Way S, south of Spokane St., “to widen the street to make a short stretch of bike path through the narrow area under the Spokane St Viaduct ramps. Another step in SDOT’s interim traffic safety improvements for East Marginal Way S. Good for people riding bikes from south of Spokane St, and for people on bikes taking the left at the light at Spokane from the WS Bridge trail, where there is now a push button for the light.”
TALKING TRANSIT TONIGHT: West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s monthly meeting is at 6:30 pm, Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way), with SDOT’s new Transit Division head Paulo Nunes-Ueno.
8:06 AM NOTE: Just took a spin around the “live video” views via the city map (dropdown on the lower right, West Seattle and Greater Duwamish views). Things look to be moving well except for the usual chokepoints (exit lane to 99, exit lane to northbound I-5).
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:40 AM: So far, nothing out of the ordinary on the routes through/from West Seattle.
7:59 AM: In the comments – some slowdowns on two Delridge spots this past half-hour. At Orchard, it’s the ongoing Seattle Public Utilities work.
ADDED 8:32 AM – TRANSPORTATION NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Three links from Tuesday – the dates are set for the next meetings on how 35th SW might be changed to be made safer; what SDOT’s director Scott Kubly told the City Council Transportation Committee about that and other projects of West Seattle interest; if you cross the bay by water, check out the brand-new Water Taxi Watch.
Heads up for Fauntleroy ferry-terminal users and people who drive/ride/walk in the area: The wrapping-up-soon Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project just north of the terminal will close the north lane at the terminal for two weeks around the clock, starting next Monday (March 2nd). It’s “to enable construction on a retaining wall,” says Annie Kolb-Nelson from King County, adding: “Flaggers will be onsite during busy commute times to guide traffic.” P.S. Full details are on the newest flyer.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. No trouble spots in our vicinity so far. One big road-work reminder:
ADMIRAL WAY PAVING: SDOT will be working between Olga and 34th, starting around 7 am, just south of Admiral Way Viewpoint. They’re hoping to finish the work in just one day, according to the update we published Monday, and expect to keep one lane open each way.
Looking further ahead:
HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE ON SUNDAY MORNING: One more thing to add to the lookahead list we included here yesterday – the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K will close part of Highway 99 just north of downtown for a few hours on Sunday morning. Details are in this update from SDOT.
7:11 AM: Checking travel times from the city map – these are from the Admiral Way hill:
SR-99 Offramp 4 min.
1st Ave Offramp 5 min.
4th Ave Offramp 6 min.
I-5 NB/SB 6 min.
Stadiums via 1st Ave 8 min.
Stadiums via 4th Ave 10 min.
South Lake Union 14 min
Lower Queen Anne 16 min.
Green Lake via SR-99 21 min.
Ballard 22 min.
Shoreline via SR-99 27 min.
3:32 PM: Thanks to the texter (2062936302 any time!) who sent this photo of a dump-truck problem where Harbor Avenue meets the bridge. They note – as the photo shows – that vehicles are “squeezing by” to the right of the spill; we haven’t heard an emergency dispatch on this yet, but if you’re headed that way, be forewarned. And just as we finish typing this, we’re getting a Metro alert that RapidRide C Line and Route 21 are rerouted off Avalon because of this.
4:34 PM: Metro says the reroutes are still in effect. We’re going to go see how cleanup is going.
5:10 PM: Avoid Avalon northbound for a while longer. Truck has been righted, dirt is being scooped up, but the Avalon/Harbor onramp toward the eastbound bridge remains blocked and traffic is backing up intermittently. The outbound buses are detouring onto Yancy.
6:46 PM: Metro has just texted that the 21 and C Line are back on their regular routes, indicating the ramp has reopened after 3+ hours. This isn’t the first truck to get in trouble at this spot – we found a few other incidents in the archives, like this one.
Update from SDOT on this week’s Admiral Way paving work (reported here Friday thanks to a neighbor tip): We asked SDOT spokesperson Marybeth Turner about the plan; her reply: “SDOT paving crews plan to work tomorrow on Admiral Way between 34th Avenue SW and SW Olga Street from 7 am to 7 pm. They will repair areas of the street where pavement is deteriorating. At least one lane in each direction will remain open. They hope to complete the work in one day.”
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