(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: The last of the post-winter-break back-to-school days is here – Seattle Public Schools classes resume today after two weeks off.

Also of note: If you drive/ride/bike/walk along Delridge, get ready for the repaving project that begins Thursday in the Phase 1 zone (between Trenton and Henderson) – it’ll mean slower going and southbound detours (here’s the latest).

And an alert for those who travel through SODO – some work on Spokane Street today and tomorrow.

Have a safe day, and share the news when you can if something of note happens along the way.

7:37 AM UPDATE: Still quiet.

Not that we expect the roads to be terribly busy this afternoon but – one more reminder, the closure of the ramps to the West Seattle Bridge from southbound I-5 and Columbian Way (Beacon Hill) is scheduled to continue until early tomorrow morning, in the first weekend of WSDOT’s I-5/Spokane Street Interchange Vicinity Special Bridge Repair project. Above, this weekend’s work zone, as photographed Saturday by West Seattle’s Long Bach Nguyen. This is a repair project focused on more than 30 “expansion joints” in the elevated structures in the vicinity of the interchange. Each of the 11 planned weekends of work will include a different configuration of ramp or lane closures; next weekend – 10 pm Friday 1/11 through 5 am Monday 1/14 – will NOT include an I-5 ramp, only the Beacon Hill ramp (see the date-stamped map of the project here). The project is scheduled to continue into April.

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
It’s the last day before everyone is back at school – Seattle Public Schools classes resume Monday. Also of note:

WEEKEND RAMP CLOSURE REMINDER: 10 pm tonight through 5 am Monday, the ramps to the West Seattle Bridge from southbound I-5 and from Beacon Hill (Columbian Way) will be closed as the Spokane St. Interchange Bridge Repair project begins. Latest update here.

ROUTE 50 ON REROUTE TILL MID-FEBRUARY: We checked on this with Metro yesterday since the Avalon/Genesee stoplight is almost ready to go – here’s the story.

Any traffic/transit updates today, let us know – we’ll also be updating as needed.

(Click image for full-size view as PDF)
More than a month after first word of the Spokane Street Interchange Vicinity Bridge Repair project – its first weekend of closures is almost here, 10 pm Friday night to 5 am Monday morning. WSDOT sends this reminder, with detour details spelled out if you had trouble figuring out the maps they posted in November:

Starting Friday night, crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will close the ramp from southbound Interstate 5 to the West Seattle Bridge and the westbound Columbian Way ramp to the West Seattle Bridge. Detours are in place.

This is the first of 11 weekend-long ramp closures to replace 31 aging expansion joints on the I-5/West Seattle Interchange.

Drivers can prepare for this and the next 10 closures by checking the website in advance. The WSDOT website has detailed list of closed ramps and weekend dates as well as detour maps available to print or download.

Ramp closure details and detours

· The ramp from southbound Interstate 5 to the West Seattle Bridge and the ramp from westbound Columbian Way ramp to the West Seattle Bridge will close at 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4 and reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 7.

· Southbound drivers can access the West Seattle Bridge by using the Forest Street exit and following the signed detour to First Avenue South. Drivers can also use State Route 99.

· Drivers from Beacon Hill can take the Sixth Avenue South ramp and connect with Lander Street.

“Locals know this area and they have their own short cuts,” said Aleta Borschowa, WSDOT project engineer. “We expect West Seattle drivers to take Highway 99, First Avenue South and Fourth Avenue South to get around. Just remember that many drivers have that same plan, and it will be busy.”
To help drivers get through the construction closure, WSDOT engineers have worked with the city of Seattle to retime the signals and cancel construction work on approved detour routes. Truck traffic near the Port of Seattle is expected to be light.

During the week, these ramps carry more than 20,000 vehicles each day, but daily traffic volumes on this interchange drop by more than 50 percent during the weekend. Engineers scheduled the work on the weekend to take advantage of this light traffic.

See the full calendar-coded map of closures – which ramps on which weekends – by going here.

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning – time to keep an eye on traffic again. And time for ANOTHER warning that all weekend long, from 10 pm Friday to 5 am Monday, the first closures will be in place for the I-5 Spokane Street Interchange Vicinity Special Bridge Repair project – you will NOT be able to get to the West Seattle Bridge from southbound I-5, nor from Beacon Hill/Columbian Way. More info here. Now, on with Thursday, and thanks in advance for any info you share if problems arise – on the roads, buses, bike paths, water, sidewalks, wherever, if it’s related to getting around.

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Still on holiday break till next week? Lucky you! Overall, we know it’s back-to-work day for more than a few people today, so we are resuming the daily traffic/transit trackers. As a refresher – this is the spot for updates if needed on not only the morning commute, but traffic trouble throughout the day and into the evening, if there’s any – and a place to talk about what you’re encountering, whether you’re driving, riding the bus, bicycling, walking, taking the Water Taxi, a state ferry, etc.

TRANSIT SCHEDULES: Back to normal, including Metro.

WEEKEND RAMP CLOSURES: One month ago after first word of the Spokane Street Interchange Vicinity Special Bridge Repair project, the first closure weekend is almost here: 10 pm this Friday 1/4 through 5 am next Monday 1/7, two ramps will be closed – Columbian Way (Beacon Hill) to West Seattle Bridge, and Southbound I-5 to West Seattle Bridge. Here’s the detour map. Again, that’s this coming weekend.

Lincoln Park Way was shut down for about half an hour while paramedics treated a bicyclist whose bike collided with a car near the intersection of Lincoln Park Way and Murray Avenue. The cyclist was transported by Medic One and police reopened the street as their investigation of the incident continues.

(Refresh page for newest image from west-facing West Seattle Bridge cam; more cameras here)
“Reduced weekday” for Metro again today – scroll down this Metro webpage to see which routes are normal, which are reduced, and which are canceled.

TRAFFIC ALERT FOR THE FIRST WEEKEND OF 2013: One month ago, we had first word of the Spokane Street Interchange Vicinity Special Bridge Repair project, starting in early January, with various weekend ramp closures planned; now, the first closure is almost here, so we’re reminding you: 10 pm NEXT Friday 1/4 through 5 am Monday 1/7, two ramps will be closed – Columbian Way (Beacon Hill) to West Seattle Bridge, and Southbound I-5 to West Seattle Bridge. Here’s the detour map. Again, that’s NEXT weekend (full list of all project closures, here).

10:22 AM: More trouble today on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Here are the latest updates from the WSF alert system:

Due to necessary repairs on the Klahowya, the 11:35 am Southworth departure will only sail to Vashon. The 11:55 am Vashon to Fauntleroy sailing and the 12:20 pm Fauntleroy to Vashon sailing are canceled.

5:08 PM: Once again, the Fauntleroy/California signal is having evening-commute trouble – steer clear if you can.

5:28 PM: Just checked back – still not working – north-south was stuck on green, east-west on red, vehicles trying to get through in 4-way-stop mode.

6:54 PM: Via Twitter, Marcia reports the lights are fixed.

(Refresh page for newest image from west-facing West Seattle Bridge cam; more cameras here)
We’re expecting another lighter-than-usual traffic day, though probably not as light as Wednesday. One important transit note:

METRO CONTINUES ‘REDUCED WEEKDAY’ SCHEDULE: With Metro on this schedule again today and tomorrow (Friday) as well as Monday, then on a Sunday schedule for New Year’s Day next Tuesday, weekday service won’t return to normal until January 2nd. Scroll down this Metro webpage to see the lists of which routes are normal, which are reduced, and which are canceled.

9:25 AM: Multiple reports in comments and texts say at least one stalled vehicle is to blame for backups on 99 northbound.

(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
8:16 PM: Thanks to everybody who texted and e-mailed about this. The stoplight at 42nd and Alaska has been having trouble for at least an hour – did not appear to be anyone directing traffic or fixing when last we went through 15 minutes or so – please let us know if you’ve seen otherwise.

9:15 PM: In comments, Vivienne reports passing through around 9 pm with no problem.

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Quiet commute today but we’re still putting this up, albeit late in the game, in case anything happens during the rest of the morning/rest of the day. Plus, it’s one more chance for the reminders about next week:

TRANSIT NOTE FOR NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND: Metro will be on a “reduced weekday” schedule Monday and Wednesday-Friday of next week as well as Monday of the following week, with a Sunday schedule on the next two Tuesdays (Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) – more here. Both Water Taxis (West Seattle and Vashon) will be out of service on Christmas/New Year’s Days but on a regular schedule the other weekdays.

(SDOT’s east-facing West Seattle Bridge cam; more WS-relevant cams here)
Back to our normal traffic/transit updates, now that the weather is back to the more-predictable showery pattern – here’s the latest forecast. Please let us know if you spot any problems – provided you’re not in the driver seat (in which case, comment or text/call when you get where you’re going, 206-293-6302).

TRANSIT NOTE FOR NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND: Reminder that Metro will be on a “reduced weekday” schedule Monday and Wednesday-Friday of next week as well as Monday of the following week, with a Sunday schedule on the next two Tuesdays (Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) – more here. Both Water Taxis (West Seattle and Vashon) will be out of service on Christmas/New Year’s Days but operating normally the other weekdays.

8 AM UPDATE: Thanks to the caller who just let us know about stalled cars causing some backup as eastbound WS Bridge leads to northbound I-5.

(Live view from east-facing WS Bridge cam; see west-facing view, other cameras on our Traffic page)
After some brief overnight snow sightings, it looks like Seattle is back in the snow shadow and likely to have a relatively normal – if cold – morning commute, so we’re going with the usual style of ongoing morning update unless something changes. Wondering about the forecast? Windy, and another chance of snow showers tonight.

That’s Justin. He works at 35th/Avalon Starbucks. When he’s not directing traffic – which he decided to do today because the 35th/Avalon signal got stuck again, second time in less than 24 hours, and last night wasn’t the first time, either. We found him directing traffic when we arrived following multiple texts (thank you!) about the signal woes – SDOT’s crew had arrived, but no police in sight. We asked SDOT about the chronic problems, and spokesperson Rick Sheridan explained that it has to do with the bus-favoring “transit signal priority”: “A component that supports transit signal priority has been malfunctioning. We disabled that component to ensure the signal operates appropriately. We’ll work to reinstitute the transit signal priority at this location in the near future.”

FIRST REPORT, 6:09 PM: Thanks to everybody who’s messaging about trouble with the 35th/Avalon stoplight. “Big traffic mess,” we’re told. En route to check it out and see if anyone’s on the case.

6:17 PM: Via the WSB Facebook page, Tahna reports police have arrived to help direct traffic.

7:11 PM: Just went through the intersection. Lights look OK but police still directing – looks like at least one stalled or crashed vehicle on east side of intersection.

7:23 PM: No more traffic-directing, but still some SPD on SE corner.

Two traffic notes tonight:

VIADUCT LANE/EXIT CLOSURE REMINDER: If you missed, or forgot about, the alert, be forewarned that the all-weekend-long lane closure and Atlantic exit closure on southbound 99 **is** affecting traffic. Saw it ourselves while headed to Queen Anne for an errand a few hours ago (through-the-windshield-from-passenger-seat photo above) – and decided to take an alternate route when headed back (I-5 tends to be busy every weekend, so we chose 4th Avenue South to the 1st Avenue South Bridge, but if you’re in north West Seattle, 1st Avenue South to the Spokane Street Viaduct works well too.) The lane and exit are not scheduled to reopen until early Monday morning.

BRIDGE CAM RETURNS: Another traffic alert for today involved SDOT work to restore a West Seattle Bridge cam view that’s been out of commission for months – and tonight, it’s back:

That’s a west-pointed view of the West Seattle Bridge, available again, so it’s back in action on the WSB Traffic page too.

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB – substituted for previous cameraphone photos)
5:38 PM: Snag in the evening commute: A crash at 35th and Fauntleroy – right at the west end of the bridge. More as we get it – but if you’re stuck in the backup, that’s the problem.

6 PM: Some good news – tow crew’s on scene and it should be clearing.

The backup, we’re told, stretches all the way across the bridge, so that’ll take a while longer to clear.

7:07 PM: There’s also a crash by the Fauntleroy ferry dock causing backups (Fauntleroy/Cloverdale):

Just in from SDOT:

On Saturday, Dec. 15, traffic crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation plan to replace the traffic camera located on the off-ramp from the westbound lanes of the West Seattle Bridge to Delridge Way SW. They will close the inside lane of the ramp at approximately 5:45 a.m. and will reopen the lane by 4 p.m.

During the closure, the crews will replace a traffic camera that provides real-time streaming video of traffic at that location. The new camera should be more reliable. It will automatically reset itself when needed, and traffic engineers will also be able to reset the camera remotely. The camera is expected to be fully functional after traffic engineers complete their work on the installation during the following week.

(If you are a regular user of the WSB Traffic page, you know this camera’s been out a long time.)

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: No notable commute problems in our area as Friday begins.

7:40 AM: As Jtk reported in comments, if you are headed southbound toward West Seattle on 99, note that a stalled vehicle is blocking a southbound lane at the Battery Street Tunnel – SDOT just tweeted it.

8 AM: Now the southbound Battery Street Tunnel is reported closed. Tracy Taylor from KING 5 also has mentioned a stall on northbound I-5 near I-90 – so that might affect outbound commuters from here.