Before you hit the road – one more reminder of this weekend’s traffic alerts. First, the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, now scheduled to start at 5 am Saturday and continue till 5 am Monday (we’ll publish an update if it’s reopened sooner, as it was last time); second, here again is the citywide list of events that might affect traffic (originally published here on Wednesday). You’ll probably want to check the city’s travel-time map before heading off the peninsula. And if you do spot any UNSCHEDULED major problems, please let us know – we’ll be on duty as always and ready to share the alert.
Besides the fact the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled to be closed from late Friday through early Monday – there are a variety of reasons you might encounter traffic snarls this weekend if you head eastward. SDOT is publishing Friday-Saturday-Sunday weekend advisories in advance each week, and we’re getting back to sharing them with you each week – so here’s the one that just arrived:Read More
(Scroll down for updates, and use the comment section to let us know how your commute goes/is going!)
(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge; more on the WSB Traffic page) 4:16 PM: As promised, we are tracking the commute home, given the morning gridlock blamed mostly on the “Get Motivated” event at KeyArena, and the city’s warning of a possible rerun-in-reverse since that event gets out just before 5. No problems so far. This will stay atop the home page till we’re sure the commute’ s no worse than usual, so scroll down as we continue to add new news BELOW this story.
4:44 PM: Some trouble spots – in red – are starting to show up on the city Travelers’ Info Map, which you can also use to check the travel times you see on those overhead signs. Find the map here. We have multiple reports that southbound 99 is backed up – all the way past the Battery Street Tunnel, according to a text we just received.
(Refresh for latest pic from 11th/Spokane, low-bridge-bound; more on the WSB Traffic page) 4:56 PM: The low bridge opened during this past half-hour – if you don’t usually go that way, do note that it DOES open for vessels during commute periods. A possible alternative for getting out of downtown is 4th Avenue South, which you can use to get to the 1st Avenue South Bridge, which in turn will take you to exits you can use to get into West Seattle via Highland Park Way, or Myers Way up to Roxbury.
5:45 PM: No news is good news – so far still no major problems reported. Slow, but not catastrophic. We’re continuing to monitor scanner, TV, radio, maps, Twitter, Facebook, comments, e-mail for anything to pass along.
6:42 PM: Looks like the commute has passed without anything resembling this morning. Not great, but not horrific. Nothing on the radar for tomorrow morning … so far!
With major events occurring around Seattle Center, to include the Get Motivated Seminar at KeyArena, the City of Seattle warns travelers to expect higher traffic volumes around the campus area, and on nearby streets and highways from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Commuters are advised to consider an early departure or to delay their trip to avoid traffic related impacts.
Prior to departing their office or home, drivers are advised to check the Travelers Information Map for up-to-date information on citywide traffic flows and to view traffic camera images. If possible, the City recommends using alternate forms of transportation, such as light rail or commuter rail, to avoid roadway-related issues.
ADDED 2:22 PM: SDOT often issues special alerts about traffic-intensifying events; in summer, they publish one before every weekend. So how did this not wind up on their advance-warning radar? we asked. Spokesperson Rick Sheridan explains:
The City of Seattle has a Special Events Committee that meets to review events that will impact city facilities, services and right of way. That body does take into consideration both large and small scale construction projects, and the scheduling of special events.
However, except for very large events like Bumbershoot, Seattle Center’s activities fall outside of this committee’s work and the center is responsible for them.
SDOT was not aware of the combined magnitude of this and other nearby events. But we will work with the center to ensure their events are appropriately announced to the traveling public.
(Photo taken around 9:20 am, looking north on 35th SW by the Golf Course) 8:42 AM: More than a few WSB’ers have sent word it’s impossible out there this morning. There’s nothing on the West Seattle Bridge and no new closures, but apparently there is a problem somewhere north of on I-5 that has backed things up badly, and this is believed to be a spillover effect. 8:49 AM: Tracy Taylor from KING 5 is blaming – at least in part – the mega-celebrity motivational-speaker event at KeyArena for backing up the Mercer exit on I-5 but that may not be the only factor. So all we can say for now is, if you don’t know this already, it’s a snail’s pace out there. Seattle Times transportation reporter Mike Lindblom, a West Seattleite, tweeted that the signboard on Admiral said “45 minutes (to) I-5” as of about 15 minutes ago. 9:21 AM: Everything with motors and wheels is caught in the gridlock, though Water Taxi and bicycling are touted as running smoothly. Otherwise – Mike J says via Twitter that it took him an hour from WS to SODO, and that’s sounding fairly typical. We have an inquiry out to SDOT to see what the monitors in their traffic center are blaming for the reported mega-gridlock.
9:41 AM: And another potential wrinkle from the KeyArena event: Via Twitter, Joelle reported spotting a motorcade in the Seattle Center vicinity. Potentially for former First Lady Laura Bush, one of the participants? Seattle PD media unit’s Det. Mark Jamieson is checking but says she would definitely merit one (Secret Service protection). And the commute-nightmare stories keep pouring in, both via comments here and other channels like Facebook (facebook.com/westseattleblog) and Twitter, where Travis cites 1 hour, 13 minutes from Our Lady of Guadalupe to Chelan Café (by the low bridge).
10:22 AM: Cameras suggest that it’s finally eased. (Let us know if you experience otherwise.) We took a photo along 35th by the Golf Course after 9 am to capture some of the backup, and that is now atop this story, with the “live” (if you refresh) traffic cams moved down here in case you need a quick reference. No word yet from SDOT on analysis of this morning’s trafficmare. The KeyArena event is scheduled to end at 4:45 pm – so beware the EVENING commute.
(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge & eastbound Fauntleroy Way cams, more on the WSB Traffic page)
A reminder that if you take surface streets between SODO and West Seattle/Harbor Island, this closure is scheduled to have begun – the intersection of East Marginal Way/Spokane Street, as part of the project building a new structure on EMW to get over the railroad tracks between the south side of the West Seattle Bridge and the west side of Highway 99. The city created an updated map, which you see above, to show how traffic is supposed to circulate through/around the closure area this weekend – police/flaggers were promised, too. IMPORTANT: The detour map above is only good through Monday morning, but the closure continues through Thursday – here’s the map for Monday morning through Thursday. (And then remember, the day after that – starting late the night of June 10th, NEXT weekend brings an Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, more reminders on that to come.)
Driving along SW Trenton just east of 35th might be slow going for a bit as two tow trucks are busy towing two cars that collided on the north side of 34th/Trenton, one winding up in a house’s yard, one through a fence (photo above). No serious injuries; one driver has been taken to the hospital in a private ambulance. 34th is blocked off at the scene till the towing crews’ work is done.
ADDED 5:36 PM: The family who owns the home escaped injury, though they were all home – husband, wife, and two little kids. He told us that he heard three loud impacts, and thought maybe someone was hitting parked cars along 34th – then went out to discover the car in the yard (which also damaged the house, at the daylight basement level) and the one through the fence next door.
ADDED 6:06 PM: About to add more photos. Nathan reports that the street is open again. (Also thanks to Sam and Val for the original tips.)
If you’re heading toward West Seattle late tonight or early tomorrow, from work or play or wherever, this might affect you: 10 pm tonight-5 am tomorrow, it’s the second of three overnight construction closures for the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct – the section of the West Seattle Bridge that’s between I-5 and Highway 99. The first closure (last Thursday night) caught some by surprise despite advance alerts, especially those using I-5, since this means the West Seattle exits will be closed, as well as access from Beacon Hill’s Columbian Way. Here’s the original alert from SDOT.
(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge & 1st Av. S. cams, more on the WSB Traffic page)
As promised, just in case Day 1 was an aberration, we’re also watching Day 2 of the morning commute with a lane-reduced, speed-reduced stretch of Highway 99 north of the West Seattle Bridge. Fog has been a factor in the early going. We’ll update here if any major problems (or interesting observations) ensue.
8:02 AM: In addition to comments here, we have this report from Natalie via the WSB FB page: “Much slower than yesterday at this same time. I caught a 7:35 bus yesterday and still got to work at 8. Still trying to get on the bridge on same bus today.”
Meantime, recycled from yesterday, here’s our map of potential commute alternatives beyond the standard “drive a regular route to the bridge” – click one to see details:
(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge & “low bridge” entrance cams, more on the WSB Traffic page) 6:17 AM: We’re tracking the first commute since the Highway 99 “lane reductions” were put into place over the weekend north of the West Seattle Bridge – more here, including our video from driving through that zone both ways after the highway reopened. So far – no problems, but it’s early.
6:38 AM: 1st report, from Hillary via Twitter: “17 minutes to downtown on the 56 … Viaduct didn’t hurt us a bit.”
7:01 AM: Thanks to whomever just texted us (206-293-6302, same number as our 24/7 breaking-news line): “13 minutes to Seneca.”
7:31 AM: Live TV aerials from KING5 show northbound 99 in the squeezed zone now starting to clog and slow, as the busiest commute time arrives.
7:46 AM: KIRO says it’ll stream live over the Viaduct shortly – here’s the link.
8:18 AM: Check comments for more updates. We’re heading out for a firsthand look at how things are going this hour. (And if anyone took the Water Taxi this morning, we’re interested in how busy that seemed – we’ll check with the county too.)
8:55 AM: We just traveled The Viaduct both ways through the work/reduction zone. Late end of the commute, we know, but aside from the usual bottleneck slowdown getting from the high bridge to 99, it was pretty smooth – less than 4 minutes from bridge exit to end of work zone. Will add video later. Video added above.
2:36 PM: We will track the pm commute in a separate story, starting around 4 pm. One tidbit – we’re told that West Seattle Water Taxi ridership was up 30 percent or so today (official numbers are not out yet). The WSWT is one of the options on our “commute alternatives” map below.
(back to original story) Meantime, here’s our map of potential commute alternatives beyond the standard “drive a regular route to the bridge” – click one to see details:
Thanks to Sally for the alert – she says the lights are out at Delridge/Andover (map) because of a crash. (It’s on 911 as a motor-vehicle accident with no medic dispatch, so hopefully not too serious, but we’re en route to check.)
1 PM: All clear, lights back on. We don’t have official info on the crash but one unofficial report says it was a single car and the driver appeared OK.
One WSB’er e-mailed to call this the worst traffic he’d seen in five years of living here. We lived the commute too this morning since we were trying to get to the shipyard for the “media availability” regarding the Sea-Based X-Band Radar that was towed in last night (WSB nighttime coverage here, today’s followup here) – and we made it maybe a mile in the first half-hour toward The Bridge. Fauntleroy was backed up, 35th was backed up, Avalon was backed up, Andover to Delridge was backed up. The 911 log showed no incidents anywhere on the West Seattle Bridge; we have called SDOT to see if their systems indicated what made this so much worse than usual. (At least one TV traffic person reportedly blamed an I-5 crash.) More to come. And remember – the Alaskan Way Viaduct has closures this weekend, and next Monday starts “The Big Squeeze” lane reductions. (P.S. Just after publishing this, we headed back into WS up Avalon – and it’s STILL backed up halfway up the hill in the bridge-bound direction – see iPhone photo above.)
11:11 AM: The photo above is from Oliver, showing what the travel-time signs on Fauntleroy said when he passed through. We’ve also heard back from Marybeth Turner at SDOT; she talked with the Traffic Management Center manager in their agency, who also blamed I-5: “He said that there were several accidents on I-5 that backed up traffic.” We don’t see a whole lot on the WSDOT_Traffic Twitter feed but will be asking for their thoughts.
9:01 AM: We’re receiving multiple reports that the “low bridge” is closed to car traffic, with police presence. We don’t yet know why but are on the way to find out. (Thanks to Bill for the original tip – he says he did get through via bicycle.)
9:23 AM UPDATE: We’re at the low bridge and can confirm, it’s closed to cars. One officer says it should reopen within the next 45 minutes or so. If you approach from the West Seattle side, you’ll be detoured onto Harbor Island. Police at the scene will only say this is “part of an ongoing investigation” – they are clearly looking for evidence of some kind; we’ll keep checking for details.
3:29 PM UPDATE: Still no additional information available, except that it was indeed the CSI team, following up on “an investigation,” and no one can say so far whether the investigation even relates to a West Seattle case. (And yes, the bridge has long since reopened.)
9:06 PM: Avoid Avalon Way in the Luna Park area for a while – police are investigating a crash that, according to the scanner, involves a car and motorcycle. Scanner traffic indicates the motorcyclist has injuries including broken bones. We’re on our way to the scene to find out more.
9:11 PM: Traffic is blocked on Avalon at Yancy, south of the crash scene.
9:20 PM: The crash happened right by Luna Park Café. We don’t know the circumstances (who hit who and why), but there’s further indication the motorcyclist is expected to recover – the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad, which investigates major crashes, is NOT being called out, and police at the scene tell us that once tow crews get the scene cleared, the street will reopen.
9:48 PM: Police have just announced (via scanner) that Avalon is reopened through the crash scene.
11:31 PM UPDATE: According to Lt. Alan Williams from theSouthwest Precinct, the man who was driving the car was cited; Lt. Williams says he “made a left turn in front of the motorcyclist.” He adds there is no indication that alcohol or drugs played any role in the crash.
The date is now set for the pothole-fighting “spot paving” work along Sylvan Way we told you about earlier this month. The traffic advisory is just in from SDOT:
SDOT paving crews will lay a new surface of asphalt this week in the eastbound lane in the 2400 block of Sylvan Way SW (at the curve by Home Depot).
On Thursday, April 21, the crews will grind off the old surface, and on Friday, April 22 they will lay new asphalt. One lane will remain open in each direction. Traffic flaggers will assist traffic.
This repair work is needed due to an ongoing pothole problem at this location.
SODO-area traffic is already complicated tonight by the Mariners’ home opener – but there’s another twist: A water-main break has closed a lane between Atlantic and Massachusetts. Says SDOT via Twitter: “Expect delays.”
(Photo substituted at 5:22 pm for previous cameraphone picture, same angle) 4:24 PM: According to the Seattle Fire Department via Twitter, a “toddler and adult female” were hit by a car at California/Lander. We are on our way to the scene; two medic units were called out. That’s the Hiawatha/Admiral Safeway/Lafayette/Admiral Junction corner. Police are controlling traffic in the area and north to Admiral Way as well – avoid the area.
4:31 PM UPDATE: Medics on scanner say the toddler is a 22-month-old boy, was hit by car going maybe 10-15 mph, was thrown into the air, but is conscious and crying, will be taken to Harborview Medical Center. We don’t know the woman’s age but she is also being taken to Harborview.
4:42 PM UPDATE: We have just spoken to police and fire. The injuries to the woman and toddler are NOT believed to be life-threatening. The driver did stop and has been talking with police. Traffic is now being allowed slowly through the area.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Checking this morning on two trouble spots: First, if you got stuck in a backup this past hour coming back westbound into West Seattle on the bridge via Fauntleroy, that car may be to blame. The call went out as a potential “heavy rescue” just under an hour ago, but when fire and police got here, they couldn’t find anyone in or near the car, according to SPD Media Unit Officer Renee Witt – so how it got there is a mystery at this point (if you saw it happen, we imagine police would like to hear from you.
There’s also an update on the problem that narrowed Highland Park Way this morning and temporarily rerouted the southbound Metro Route 23 – Stephanie described it as “a light pole that is in danger of falling in to the road on Highland Park hill just before the bottom of the hill,” which meant the uphill lanes were closed (thanks also to Jason). We just drove over to check and the road’s fully reopen now – and there’s a conspicuously newer-looking pole in place in the area in question.
(Crash site after the car was moved) 7:37 AM: Caveat that this isn’t on the 911 log and we haven’t gotten there yet to verify, but a caller says that a car has crashed into/onto the median on Harbor Avenue north of The Bridge, and that it’s affecting bridge-bound access on Harbor. 8:07 AM UPDATE: It was closer to the businesses south of the Harbor Avenue 7-11, and it’s just cleared. Appears to have been a vehicle vs. pole, and City Light crews have just wrapped up too. No official word on injuries, but there were no medic crews called.
One more overnight closure of the **westbound** Spokane Street Viaduct – aka the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and 99 – tonight from 10 pm till 5-ish am, and then again Monday-Wednesday nights of next week. But additional closures are scheduled
next week – affecting buses as well as others. From the area construction lookahead, for Monday-Friday nights next week:
Jan 24-28, 1st Ave S will be closed between S King St and S Royal Brougham Way, the southbound SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct off-ramp to 1st Ave S will be closed nightly and the northbound 1st Ave S on-ramp to SR 99 will be closed.
Related to that, this afternoon’s advisory from Metro was as follows:
Construction Reroute – Rts 15, 18, 21, 22, 56 & 85. Northbound 1st Av S is closed at S Royal Brougham Way; Jan 24-28, 6:30 PM-5 AM each night. Use the stops northbound on 1st Av S just north of Edgar Martinez Dr S or just north of S Jackson St.
One thing we are still sorting out – noticed while heading downtown for this afternoon’s court hearing that the eastbound WS Bridge exit to NB 99 has a sign saying it will be closed nights next week. That is *not* listed on any of the official information we’ve received – nor the master list – we’ll be doublechecking Monday to see whether it’s really happening. Probably the best advice is … if you have to drive off the peninsula, north/eastward, late at night/early early morning, be ready for anything.
ORIGINAL 11:58 AM REPORT: That traffic-cam screengrab from a few minutes ago shows a vehicle fire that’s being put out in the Terminal 5 area, on West Seattle’s side of the Port. We don’t have information on the fire itself yet but received a call that traffic on the “low bridge” is being forced to turn around – so wanted to send out a heads-up.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli, added 12:50 pm) UPDATE: Christopher Boffoli is at the scene. He says the cab of a tractor-trailer caught fire. The driver got out OK, and the cargo (a load of paper) appears to be all right. No word on the cause. This is right on the west end of the low bridge, and they’re starting to let traffic through again, but he says there’s still a notable backup.
Video added 2:16 pm; no official word so far on the fire’s cause.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:11 AM:Via Facebook, Tina says Delridge is blocked between Thistle and Trenton, and Metro has rerouted the 120 bus, saying it’s because of a crash. According to e-mail from Mary, it involved a bicycle and vehicle. We’re told the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad was called out, which means the road will be closed for a few hours (last crash they investigated in West Seattle was Sunday’s outage-triggering 47th/Charlestown car vs. pole). We’re en route to this scene, but in the meantime, if you travel south Delridge, go around that area.
8:28 AM UPDATE: At the scene. The bicycle, as shown in the photo we just added, is still in the middle of the road. Police tell us the victim is a child, taken to the hospital. A driver was “evaluated” but did not show any “sign of impairment,” according to Det. Mark Jamieson of the media-response unit. They’ll have more information later once the TCI team files an initial report.
8:58 AM UPDATE: According to Lt. Sue Stangl at the Seattle Fire Department, the victim is a 15-year-old boy and has a leg injury. The vehicle is reported to have been a pickup truck.
10:24 AM UPDATE: Delridge is open again at the crash scene. Will add to this story when police release more information as expected later.
On January 13th, at approximately 7:07 AM, a 15 year old male bicyclist was travelling westbound on SW Cloverdale Street, heading downhill. At the intersection with Delridge Way SW, the bicyclist did not stop at the stop sign, entered the intersection, and struck the driver’s side door of a 2000 Ford F250 truck, that was travelling south on Delridge.
The bicyclist, who was wearing a helmet, was transported by SFD Medics to Harborview Medical Center with a broken leg and a head injury.
Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) responded to the location to process the scene and begin their investigation. The driver of the truck was evaluated at the scene and there were no indications of any alcohol or drug impairment. The driver was interviewed and released pending further investigation.
ORIGINAL 5:59 AM REPORT: With another clear, cold night following a day in which temperatures weren’t warm enough to melt persistent ice patches on some area roads – like this one – you’ll want to be very careful this morning (and if you park on the street, allow for windshield-scraping time). We already have one West Seattle alert just in from SDOT via Twitter:
A lane of Highland Park Wy SW is closed due to ice. It’s the eastbound, right hand lane coming down the hill toward West Marginal Way SW.
We’ll add any other alerts that come in.
6:43 AM: Another potential traffic alert – rescue crews just arrived at a truck rollover on southbound Highway 509 at Cloverdale, which is right around where you get onto 509 if you’re heading east from White Center/West Seattle. One person was in the truck and got out of the wreckage before crews arrived.
8:29 AM: West Marginal Way is also reported as very icy, particularly between the Duwamish Longhouse and the LaFarge plant – and spinouts by the Puget intersection in that same area. And we’re also hearing of a crash in Gatewood, around California and Orchard. (Photo added above – no serious injuries, but as of 8:54 am, per the scanner, police are suggesting this stretch may need de-icer, “very icy.”)
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