(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to Tuesday! We start by looking ahead –

ROAD WORK TODAY: The city plans pavement repairs in the 2300 block of Sylvan/Orchard 8 am-5 pm; one lane will remain open, with flagger assistance in getting traffic to alternate. (Speaking of paving – if you missed it, on Monday we published the city’s list of where paving work is planned in West Seattle this year.)

TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS? Tonight’s the night to show up and show support for the West Seattle Transportation Coalition as it asks government reps from all levels – what’s the plan for our area’s transportation troubles?. 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), details here.

SOUTHBOUND I-5 CLOSURE: If you’ll be returning to West Seattle from points north late tonight/early Wednesday, avoid southbound I-5. It will be closed at King Street for sign installation, 11 pm-4:30 am.

8:24 AM: Multiple reports of trouble on northbound 99 – a crash just north of the bridge. No serious injuries reported at this point, so no SFD callout.

8:33 AM: From the scanner, police confirm two lanes blocked but are going to “try to move it to the shoulder” shortly.

8:41 AM: And now it sounds like one lane will remain blocked for a while. If you have yet to leave, passing up the 99 exit and using 1st or 4th to get into downtown might be a better bet. Tow trucks are now being requested.

9:11 AM: Traffic authorities say things are moving along closer to normally since all that was moved out of the main lanes.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Today’s commute arrives after another windy night, so once again, watch for branches and other debris if you’re heading out early. Might not calm down much before tonight, the forecast says.

TOMORROW – SHOW YOU CARE: Even if you don’t usually go to meetings, Tuesday night is an excellent time to make an exception to show up and show support for the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s campaign to get government at all levels to pay attention to our area’s unique transportation challenges. 6:30 pm Tuesday (January 14th) at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), hear directly as city, county, and state reps answer the questions West Seattleites have long been asking.

Announced by SDOT: Weather permitting, paving crews will work in the 2300 block of Sylvan Way SW next Tuesday (January 14th), 8 am-5 pm: “One lane will remain open and traffic flaggers will assist alternating directions of traffic through the construction zone.”

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Morning is dawning after a blustery night – whatever your method of transportation, watch out for tree branches and other blown-about debris. And hang on for another round of windiness tonight into tomorrow. Speaking of which, here’s the SDOT advice for the 12s.

FERRY SCHEDULE CHANGING: If you use Washington State Ferries, note that its new seasonal schedule kicks in on Sunday; it has fewer runs on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 PM: As Thursday begins, we look ahead to next Tuesday (January 14th), your chance to show you care about West Seattle’s transportation challenges, just by being there when the WS Transportation Coalition hosts reps from all levels of government. They plan to talk not only about the problems, but also about what can be done to tackle them. 6:30 pm in the theater at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – details on the WSTC website. Meantime, today’s traffic watch continues…

7:52 AM: In Georgetown, what SDOT says is a medical response is blocking the two center lanes of 4th S. at Front St., and Metro has rerouted the 131 and 132 off 4th between Michigan and Lucile

8:09 AM: If you are/were commuting with Danielle McGarrityvia the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry, you might have seen this:

Thanks to Danielle for sending photos! P.S. The Georgetown scene on 4th is clear and 131/132 are back to their normal routes.

5:48 PM: If you’re heading onto southbound 99 from north of downtown – note there is a vehicle reported to be blocking one lane in the Battery Street Tunnel.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: Here we go again. Hoping everyone will get to work, school, etc., more easily than Tuesday. As always, we’ll update as necessary …

8:37 AM: No news is good news, in this case.

(Photo tweeted by @shermanscorner)
4:05 PM: Thanks to the caller who reported a crash at the 1st Avenue South ramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge, just as the Seattle Fire medic call appeared on the log. The caller said a motorcycle rider had gone down; radio communications from SFD confirm that, and describe the rider as “conscious and alert.”

4:10 PM: Just announced via radio: “The on-ramp from 1st to the West Seattle Bridge is going to be entirely shut down.”

4:21 PM: Update – sounds like the ramp will NOT be closed for long. Added a tweeted photo; @shermanscorner says the people who were on the ramp when the crash happened (we don’t have info on the circumstances) were directed to back up to clear it.

4:36 PM: Fire units have cleared from the scene – we haven’t heard official confirmation but the ramp was expected to reopen once that happened.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
5:58 AM: No ice to worry about this morning – it’s been rainy overnight and well above freezing. Today’s traffic advisory is for anyone who drives along the downtown waterfront: Starting this morning, Alaskan Way surface traffic between Madison and Pike shifts to the new temporary road under The Viaduct, to make way for seawall-replacement work. It’s all explained here.

7:09 AM: ‘Fender-bender’ on the eastbound bridge, says a tipster. No fire/medic callout.

7:36 AM: As commenters are noting, major bridge backup. And now there’s an aid callout.

8:01 AM: To clarify – the aid callout is for a DIFFERENT crash. The “fender-bender” was earlier and did not involve a fire/medics callout. Then came this one, which is just west of the exit to 99, and DID require a callout. If you haven’t left the house yet, and can wait, we highly suggest you do.

8:11 AM: One of the bridge cams is focused on the crash but we don’t know for how long, so here’s a screengrab for posterity:

8:20 AM: Tow truck spotted headed that way. Live traffic cam currently shows fire and police staged across three lanes, routing traffic around to the right. Commenters note that buses were not routed off the high bridge for some time.

8:23 AM: And until the camera pulled back again, it appeared the scene was clearing! (few minutes later) Police are still in the bus lane.

8:33 AM: Hate to be the bearer of bad news but now there is apparently a stalled vehicle parallel with Nucor, blocking a lane, per police, heard on the scanner.

8:43 AM: Per comments, that’s in the left lane. Meantime, just for the record – One commenter says it took an hour to get from Upper Fauntleroy to the Trader Joe’s vicinity; to the south, no better, @catfishianne said via Twitter that it took more than a hour to get from Roxbury Safeway to 99.

8:53 AM: Looks like the crash scene before the 99 exit is clear after about an hour and a half – here’s a screen grab of the camera a few minutes ago:

No update on the stalled car.

9:02 AM: The low bridge was open for marine traffic and is now reported to be back open to vehicles. One more note IF you commute beyond 99 onto Elliott along the north downtown waterfront and beyond – there is a rollover crash at Elliott/Harrison (map) that emergency crews are dealing with right now.

9:15 AM: If you waited to leave – note from the cameras (more views on our Traffic page) that it’s still very busy, even without new incidents to complicate things, and it’s still raining. Wait a while longer if you can; if you can’t, drive slowly and safely! We will continue to update here IF any additional incidents happen – the daily traffic update is always linked atop the “TOP STORIES” list on the WSB sidebar.

10:02 AM: On the peninsula, a school bus was involved in a collision at 12th/Henderson. (Added – photo courtesy of Keith – note the pickup on the sidewalk under the tree:)

No reports of injuries – fire/medics were NOT called out.

11:02 AM: An exchange of note via Twitter, involving newly inaugurated Mayor Ed Murray:

4:26 PM: A crash has closed the 1st Avenue South onramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge, though it doesn’t sound like it will be closed for long.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: School is back in session after winter break, which in turn means family-vacation time is over, so just about everyone will be back on the roads, the buses, the sidewalks, the trails, etc. Be careful until everyone’s used to each other again! If you see a problem, text or call us *if/when you can do so legally and safely*, not while behind the wheel – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

TRAFFIC ALERTS THIS WEEK: Late-night/early-morning I-5 closures – details here.

7:14 AM UPDATE: Multiple commenters are warning about icy/slick roads. WSDOT too, regionally, via Twitter:

Travel times aren't horrible but we've seen a ton of collisions. Please be cautious, it's very slippery out there.

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) January 6, 2014

7:35 AM UPDATE: Not really a traffic update but if you see police in the Beach Drive/Richey Viewpoint/Weather Watch Park vicinity, they’re doublechecking on what some people called in as possible gunshots – one officer said over the radio that he was in the area, heard it, and is fairly sure it was fireworks.

7:41 AM: Back to those slick roads. Co-publisher Patrick Sand is just back from an errand and reports California SW through Gatewood is among them. We also have multiple reports about Sylvan Way, including this one from Linda in comments: “… Incredibly icy going up Morgan to 35th then down Sylvan way where a car had already spun out. A bit icy down Highland Park way, hit a patch making the right at the bottom of the hill and didn’t hit clear roads until I was on the freeway towards Burien.”

7:56 AM: Some consolation for the return to school, bridge traffic, etc. – a beautiful sunrise:

Thanks to Lise Thivierge for the photo from the Water Taxi dock at Seacrest.

8:18 AM: From the scanner – police have been called to check out someone sleeping and/or intoxicated on a Metro bus by Roxhill Park.

9:08 AM: Annie warns via Twitter that there’s debris as you head off southbound I-5 and onto the westbound West Seattle Bridge – some kind of “metal pipe.” As we noted on Twitter, when you can safely make a phone call, please report a hazard to 911 or (if a city roadway) 206-684-ROAD.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
After a rainy night, the weather‘s supposed to keep getting better as the weekend gets closer. So there’s a promising note with which to get the day going. Traffic-wise, a messy crash wreaked havoc with northbound 405 in Bellevue overnight, so if you commute out that way, check here for updates. No road-work advisories today, but if you missed our mention last night – late-night/early-morning closures are planned next week on I-5; details are here.

You might already have seen the signage, at the entrance to northbound I-5 from the West Seattle Bridge – closures are coming up next week. Too many details to fit onto signs, but here’s the full text of a preview sent today by WSDOT:

Drivers should prepare for a series of lane and ramp closures on northbound and southbound Interstate 5 in the University District and SODO starting Monday, Jan. 6.

Some of the closures require crews to close all lanes of northbound or southbound I-5 in order to install highway-wide crossbeam sections of the overhead sign bridge. When I-5 is closed, traffic will be shifted to the collector-distributor or signed detours will direct drivers off and on the highway.

Closure highlights:

Monday, Jan. 6 to the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7:

Northbound I-5
Two right lanes of northbound I-5 at Edgar Martinez Drive S. and the Edgar Martinez Drive S. off-ramp will close from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 7 to the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 8:

Southbound I-5
Driver alert: All lanes of southbound I-5 at S. King Street will close from 11 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. All traffic will be shifted to the collector-distributor which runs parallel to mainline I-5.
Northbound I-5
Three left lanes of northbound I-5 between South Spokane Street and the entrance to the Express Lanes will close from midnight to 5 a.m.
Two left lanes of northbound I-5 at Olive Way and the University Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 8 to the morning of Thursday, Jan. 9:

Northbound I-5
Driver alert: From 11 p.m. until 4 a.m., multiple lanes and ramps on northbound I-5 will close between South Spokane Street and the Olive Way off-ramp.
All lanes of northbound I-5 will close from 2 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. between the Seneca Street exit and Olive Way.
The Cherry Street off-ramp and Olive Way off-ramp will close from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m.
The Express Lanes will operate northbound for the duration of the closure.

Thursday, Jan. 9 to the morning of Friday, Jan. 10:

Southbound I-5
Driver alert: From 11 p.m. until 4 a.m., multiple lanes and the Northeast 50th off-ramp from southbound I-5 will close between Northgate Way and the Northeast 50th Street off-ramp.
All lanes of southbound I-5 will close from 2 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. in the vicinity of Northeast 85th Street.
The northeast 50th Street off-ramp will close from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m.
The Express Lanes will operate southbound for the duration of the closure.

Northbound I-5
· Driver alert: All lanes of northbound I-5 at S. Dearborn Street will close from 11 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. All northbound traffic will be shifted to the collector-distributor which runs parallel to mainline I-5.

For a full listing of next week’s I-5 lane closures associated with sign bridge replacement work, go here: wsdot.wa.gov/Northwest/King/Construction/i5Construction.htm

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Back to work today? Whether you are or not, normal schedules are resuming – Metro, for starters, is back to a regular weekday schedule today. The Water Taxi is back in service.

First – please allow us a moment to thank you and EVERYONE for traffic/transit coverage collaboration in 2013 – especially bus riders and carpool passengers who can safely and legally text/call/e-mail with real-time updates, but also those who use other ways to share as-it-happens information, procured perhaps via the view from a downtown office overlooking The Viaduct or a home overlooking The Bridge or a busy local road, or provided through a call or text when you get to your destination, sending word about a problem you passed. It’s all vitally important, as reinforced during big events including the doubled-deicer bridge closure one month ago today (second-most-commented WSB story of the year). So, on we go into 2014.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Transit reminder again today – if you ride Metro, remember that the regular schedules don’t resume until AFTER the New Year’s holiday; today is again the “Reduced Weekday/No UW” schedule. Same thing tomorrow; then Wednesday (New Year’s Day), it’s a Sunday schedule (and no Water Taxi). Hoping for another quiet semi-holiday commute today, but we’re on watch just in case.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Here’s hoping for another low-key commute. A reminder again today about Metro running at a lower service level until after New Year’s Day – again today, it’s the “reduced weekday/no UW” schedule.

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
It’s back-to-work for some, so we’re back on traffic/transit watch. One note about the latter – remember that Metro is at a lower service level between Christmas and New Year’s, so today’s it’s the “reduced weekday/no UW” schedule. The Water Taxi, by the way, IS back in service today.

(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. As you’d expect, quiet, as reinforced by this tweet from the WSDOT person watching metro-area highways:

Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, were singing because there's no traffic at all. My heart is growing 3 sizes!

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) December 24, 2013

One more reminder that the holiday schedule changes start today for Metro riders, as outlined here – today it’s the “reduced weekday” schedule.

(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
First commute of winter, which arrived on Saturday. Two notes, to begin: If you’ll be driving late tonight or early morning, remember the northbound I-5 closure at Dearborn, just north of I-90, 9 tonight through 4:30 am Tuesday. If you are a Metro rider, the holiday schedule changes begin tomorrow – as outlined here.

Noticed a sign for this while on an off-peninsula errand earlier today: Northbound I-5 will be closed at S. Dearborn (just north of I-90), 9 pm Monday night until 4:30 am Tuesday, for, the Construction Lookahead says, “installation of a new overhead sign structure.” As a result: “Traffic will be detoured to the northbound collector-distributor. The Northbound I-5 off-ramp to Edgar Martinez Dr. S. will also be closed.”

(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Will it snow tomorrow morning or not? Mixed opinions out there, and even the National Weather Service is hedging its bets. But that’s TOMORROW – first, time to get started keeping watch on today.

(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
One week until Christmas, three days until the winter solstice, and the forecast is threatening wintry weather again – possibly Thursday night/Friday morning. So check back for the mid-morning/mid-afternoon/mid-evening forecast updates, just in case.

Looking ahead even further – Metro is out with its traditional reminder about reduced service not only around Christmas and New Year’s, but the week inbetween; here’s the announcement.

7:42 AM: Bertha points out that southbound Highway 509 is closed at 128th in Burien because of a rollover crash – so if you head that way, you’ll want to use an alternate route. Reopening is now estimated around 9, according to KING 5’s Tracy Taylor. The crash involved five vehicles, per the State Patrol, which says two people are in critical condition – a vehicle came down an embankment onto the roadway, rolled, and hit the other vehicles.

9:59 AM: 509 is open.

Roadway is open! pic.twitter.com/uFktnSP1uP

— Trooper Chris Webb (@wspd2pio) December 18, 2013

(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:30 AM: No major problems reported on the routes out of West Seattle so far this morning. Another reminder: This week’s overnight lane (and more) closures for I-5 through downtown include a full northbound closure tonight into tomorrow morning.

7:51 AM UPDATE: Multiple reports of a crash – no injuries reported or responded to at this point but still multiple cars, blocking a lane – on the eastbound bridge from Fauntleroy.

8:12 AM: Can’t see it from the pedestrian walkover – so if it’s still not cleared, it’s somewhere east of there. Meantime, from comments, a crash reported at Delridge/Andover.

8:37 AM: Both of the aforementioned situations are reported to have cleared. Meantime, here’s a traffic view we hadn’t noticed before, via the city Travelers Info Map:

At right, that’s the former “Hole,” aka Spruce, as the view looks westbound on Alaska from Fauntleroy. We’ll add it to the cameras on the WSB Traffic page, along with anything else we find that we don’t already have.