West Seattle, Washington
21 Friday
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Two boat-commute notes as the morning gets going: The West Seattle Water Taxi is back in service this morning after a short bout of trouble during Monday’s pm commute, and Washington State Ferries’ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is back to three boats – Klahowya isn’t fixed yet, but as of early this morning, it was replaced by Sealth.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
One note for starters today, if you are headed for the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry – the Klahowya is still expected to remain out of service until at least this evening. Keep watch on Washington State Ferries alerts here.
As we start a new week, just to let you know about the road work planned NEXT weekend – Saturday and Sunday (May 4-5), both directions of S. Spokane Street under the bridge will be closed 7 am-6 pm for paving work. And all weekend long, at the east end of the bridge, the ramp to southbound I-5 will be closed as part of the Special Bridge Repair project.
5:24 PM: Crash on southbound 99 is backing up West Seattle-bound (and beyond) traffic – thanks for everyone who’s sent tips on this. SFD has already cleared the scene, so we’re hoping that means the crash itself will clear soon.
Here’s what the “No Parking” signs along Fauntleroy between Brandon and Graham are for – Seattle City Light will be out tomorrow, 7 am-8 pm, working on overhead lines along four blocks. It’s part of a system upgrade for an area that’s been operating on an old, low-capacity system, according to SCL – full details on the work and upgrades, here.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Friday! Two road work notes: California SW repaving between Dawson is scheduled to continue today, and the Delridge/Thistle intersection closure is scheduled to start at 7 pm, continuing until early Monday – details here.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
7:10 AM: More warm, bright sunshine today. Perfect for road work, too, and remember that repaving work is scheduled today and tomorrow on California SW, south of The Junction, between Dawson (the west leg, per the No Parking signs) and Findlay. Then this weekend, the Delridge/Thistle intersection has a planned closure, Friday night until Monday morning, as the Delridge repaving project continues – details and detours here.
8:01 AM UPDATE: Thanks to Erica for the tip – there’s a crash on the eastbound bridge just before the 99 exit, currently blocking two lanes, so if you haven’t left yet, wait a while.
8:33 AM UPDATE: The bridge crash has been cleared.
8:45 AM: However – maybe because of diversion from the bridge – commenter Trickycoolj says Highland Park Way hill is backed up.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Could be the warmest, sunniest day of the week, suggests the forecast – don’t forget your sunglasses!
Road-work reminders are the same as yesterday:
*SW 106th repaving in Arbor Heights is planned – details here
*Highway 99 north of downtown continues overnight closures through Thursday night – details here
And a reminder about the weekend ahead – the Delridge repaving project is scheduled for Delridge/Thistle intersection closure, Friday night until Monday morning – details and detours here.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
You probably won’t need to scrape your windshield – but there’s some frost out there this morning (for us, atop a hill, it was just on top of the car).
Meantime, today/tonight road-work reminders, from the full-week list we published in Monday morning’s traffic tracker:
*SW 106th repaving in Arbor Heights is planned for today and tomorrow – details here
*Highway 99 north of downtown continues various overnight closures nightly through Thursday night – details and detours here
METRO RIDER NOTE: An e-mail advisory this morning says, “Metro’s Customer Information phone line at 553-3000 is temporarily out of service.”
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Spring break for Seattle Public Schools (and independent schools following its calendar) is over, so please watch out for school buses, kids walking/biking to school, and the usual campus dropoff spots.
This week brings a fair amount of road work, too:
*Highway 99 north of downtown has various overnight closures tonight through Thursday night – details and detours here
*North of the tunnel, Highway 99 has lane restrictions and sidewalk closures starting today, as part of the Mercer project – details here
*SW 106th repaving in Arbor Heights is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday – details here
*California SW repaving between Dawson (signage goes to the northwest side) and Findlay is scheduled for Thursday and Friday – details here
*Delridge/Thistle weekend-long closure is scheduled to start Friday night – details here
2:02 PM: If you’ve driven Fauntleroy Way north of Lincoln Park this afternoon, you might have wondered what this green spot is about. It traces back a few hours to a report of a possible sinkhole in the road; police had the southbound lane blocked for a while till it could be checked out. The green is from a test that road/utility crews have done to try to trace the problem and see what needs to be done next. Safe for now, they said while we were there, but we’ll be checking back at the scene and with SDOT as the afternoon goes on.
3:03 PM UPDATE: From Marybeth Turner at SDOT: “Our Street Maintenance staff have determined this is not a sink hole, but more of a surface defect, and the street can be open to traffic for now. We plan to repair the pavement when the weather and the pavement are dry.”
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Sorry for the late start here. This past hour, there was a car-fire call on the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct – someone sent this photo:
The 911 log shows fire units have cleared, though we don’t know if there’s still a blockage in the area. We’ll be checking with Seattle Fire to confirm what the log also suggests, no serious injuries, since no medic unit was dispatched.
Otherwise, it’s a rainy commute; last day of spring break for Seattle Public Schools, so traffic will be back to the usual levels on Monday.
10:12 AM UPDATE: WSDOT reports a three-vehicle crash on southbound 99 just north of downtown that might close the Battery Street Tunnel.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Another fairly quiet morning so far! And if you’re wondering – no major closures planned this weekend. If you missed the announcements, two repaving projects are planned for West Seattle NEXT week: Tuesday-Wednesday (April 23-24) on SW 106th in Arbor Heights, and Thursday-Friday (April 25-26) on California SW between Dawson and Findlay.
If the weather’s OK, right after SDOT completes the previously announced Arbor Heights repaving next week, they’ll move on to the California SW work postponed from earlier this month. The announcement:
Seattle Department of Transportation crews plan to grind and pave California Avenue Southwest from Southwest Dawson Street to Southwest Findlay Street on April 25 and 26, weather permitting.
Traffic will be shifted to one side, leaving one lane open in each direction. A police officer will assist traffic at the intersection of California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Brandon Street. All crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open.
The crews will work from 9 a.m. to 6p.m.
For information on bus service, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, see Metro Online, www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call (206) 553-3000.
SDOT has now set the dates – weather permitting – for paving work in Arbor Heights (covering a few more blocks than first mentioned here last month). The official announcement:
SDOT crews plan to grind and pave Southwest 106th Street between 35th Avenue Southwest and 39th Avenue Southwest in the Arbor Heights community on April 23 and 24, weather permitting.
Westbound traffic will be detoured to Southwest 100th Street. Police Officers will assist traffic on Southwest 106th Street at 35th and at 39th avenues. All crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open. The crews will work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For information about bus service, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, see Metro Online, www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call (206) 553-3000.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to Wednesday! Nothing of note to start with…
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Time to get on the move for Tuesday. Traffic updates to come as we get them.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Traffic might be a bit lighter this week, since it’s spring break for Seattle Public Schools – though many independent schools are in session, as their spring breaks are already over. Here’s hoping for a trouble-free commute; if you spot a problem and can share the news safely (after arriving at your destination – or on the road IF you are a passenger, not a driver), as always, we appreciate comments, texts, e-mails, whatever works. Thanks!
10:57 PM: A multiple-vehicle crash has temporarily closed the eastbound WS bridge ramp to southbound I-5, and emergency responders are also blocking some soutbound lanes of I-5. Traffic cameras here and here show the scenes. At least one occupant of the involved vehicles has been taken to a hospital.
11:55 PM: Accident scene has been cleared; the ramp to southbound I-5 has re-opened.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Friday! Last day of school before the one-week spring break for Seattle Public Schools. And with the postponement of the Delridge/Thistle intersection work, there’s just one traffic alert for this weekend, taking effect tonight at 10, ending by 5 am Monday: The ramps from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge and lower Spokane Street to northbound I-5 and Beacon Hill will be closed for expansion-joint work; detours are listed here.
SDOT just sent word that the Delridge/Thistle intersection closure that had been scheduled for this weekend is now postponed two weeks, to April 26-29, because of a not-so-optimal forecast.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
With the weekend in view, along with tracking whatever’s happening today, we’re also looking ahead to two traffic alerts for the weekend:
DELRIDGE/THISTLE INTERSECTION CLOSURE, PLUS CLOVERDALE CLOSURE STARTING TODAY: As previewed here (with a detour map), the Delridge/Thistle intersection is scheduled to close at 7 pm Friday and stay closed all weekend as part of the Delridge-repaving project. In addition, SW Cloverdale will be closed at Delridge to eastbound traffic from 11 am TODAY until about 5 pm Saturday.
SPOKANE STREET INTERCHANGE RAMP CLOSURES: 10 pm Friday to 5 am Monday, you won’t be able to get from the West Seattle Bridge or lower Spokane Street to either northbound I-5 or Beacon Hill. It’s the second-to-last scheduled weekend closure for the Spokane Street Interchange Special Bridge Repair. Detours are listed here.
And note that this will be a getaway weekend for many, because Seattle Public Schools are out next week for spring break.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:32 AM: It’s a rainy commute, but no major incidents are reported in the outbound-from-West Seattle vicinity right now. A few notes, starting with:
METRO SURVEY: If you are a bus rider, Metro is asking for your thoughts this morning – conducting this online survey concurrently with nine other cities around the world to compare passengers’ views.
8:07 AM UPDATE: Thanks to the commenters reporting trouble on the low bridge, apparently a stalled semi-truck.
(Click image to get full-size PDF of map)
That’s the detour map just in from SDOT, one week after they announced that the Delridge-Thistle intersection will close this weekend – 7 pm April 12th till 6 am April 15th – as part of the second phase of the Delridge Way repaving project. As shown on the map, here’s the detour plan – note there’s also a nearby closure that starts earlier, first thing THURSDAY morning:
· Northbound traffic on Delridge Way SW – Take SW Trenton Street to 35th Avenue SW to SW Holden Street to Delridge Way SW
· Southbound traffic on Delridge Way SW – Take SW Holden Street to 35th Avenue SW to SW Trenton Street to Delridge Way SW
· Westbound traffic on SW Thistle Street – Take 16th Avenue SW to SW Henderson Street to Delridge Way SW
· Eastbound traffic on SW Thistle Street – Take 35th Avenue SW to SW Holden Street or SW Trenton Street to Delridge Way SW
Additionally, there will be a partial closure of the SW Cloverdale Street and Delridge Way SW intersection from 7 a.m. Thursday, April 11, to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 13. This intersection will be closed to eastbound traffic on SW Cloverdale Street on these days. Through traffic will be directed to use a signed detour; local access will be maintained.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:19 AM: Via Twitter, SDOT reports a crash on northbound 99 at the Battery Street Tunnel. Updates as we get them.
7:30 AM: The crash has cleared. If you’re waiting for a state ferry at Fauntleroy, note that there’s a spot of trouble there – as WSF deals with a stalled vehicle aboard the Salish.
8:22 AM: Multiple-vehicle crash on Delridge between Delridge and Dakota.(Thanks to Sybil for pointing this out via Twitter.) *added* Blocking southbound lanes, according to a tweet from Lauren.
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