West Seattle, Washington
04 Tuesday
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.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:12 AM: The commute is on. Might be busier than last week – the independent schools that were on Easter break last week are back today. (Seattle Public Schools will be on spring break next week.) And one more reminder for boat commuters: The West Seattle Water Taxi‘s spring/summer/etc. schedule starts today. Looking ahead to tonight – it’ll be busy in the stadium zone because of the Mariners‘ home opener (vs. Houston, 7:10 pm).
ADDED 4:02 PM: A Washington State Ferries update:
Beginning Tuesday, Apr. 9, the 64-car Salish will service the F/V/SW route while the 90-car Sealth returns to the San Juan Islands to temporarily replace the Yakima. The three-boat weekday schedule will continue to be in effect. Please plan for additional wait times during the morning and afternoon commutes due to the decrease in vessel capacity.
10:56 AM: California Way is blocked by a downed tree. We are here checking it out. Police are on scene turning traffic back. SDOT is here cutting up the tree.
11:26 AM: Please comment or otherwise let us know if you go through the area and it’s clear – there are no official updates on things like this and we won’t be going back to check for a while. Thanks!
3:10 PM: Commenters say it’s still closed and might not open for hours to come.
7:51 PM: Thanks to everyone who has reported the road has reopened.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Approaching the heart of the commute, nothing unusual on the major routes from West Seattle. Previewing the weekend:
I-5 LANE CLOSURES: Again this weekend, starting late tonight, lanes on northbound I-5 will be closed south of the West Seattle Bridge for expansion-joint work.
OTHER WEEKEND ALERTS: Here’s the city’s list.
7:48 AM UPDATE: Stacey reports via Twitter, “Big car accident at Fauntleroy Starbucks. Huge backup.” No major injuries, apparently, as the lone fire engine already has been pulled.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:53 AM: The West Seattle-vicinity routes have no problems reported at the moment, but there’s one huge problem affecting traffic a bit farther north: A wrong-way crash has eastbound Highway 520 shut down at Montlake. WSDOT says that might last another hour or so. But eastbound I-90 is reported to be “running smoothly.”
8:15 AM: Outbound traffic is another matter – “Fed Up” says in comments that the bridge is “backed up from 35th to I-5.”
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: So far, so good in today’s commute. Looking ahead – now that we’re to the middle of the week, a reminder that the northbound I-5 lane closures just south of the West Seattle Bridge will be in effect again this weekend, as expansion-joint work continues.
9:09 AM: Just in from Alison:
Just witnessed an accident NB 99 just after the ramp up to the viaduct. 3 cars. Airbags deployed in one. Two trucks were stalled and the first car slowed down. Third was following too close and too fast. Will take time to clear.
Deborra also reports the 99 backup is visible from a downtown vantage point overlooking the highway.
4:31 PM: There’s a reported five-car crash on the eastbound bridge, near 4th Avenue exit.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing out of the ordinary reported currently on the main West Seattle-vicinity routes.
‘BERTHA’ WATCH: Today’s the day the ship carrying the Highway 99 tunnel-boring machine arrives in Elliott Bay; it’s just about to Port Angeles, according to MarineTraffic.com, so still a few hours out – we’re awaiting WSDOT’s next official estimate. ADDED 8:32 AM: Bertha turned up on KING 5’s Port Angeles webcam a short time ago:
Look, I’m on TV! Thanks @king5seattle. twitter.com/BerthaDigsSR99…
— Bertha (@BerthaDigsSR99) April 2, 2013
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to April! We start with word of a stall on northbound 99 “just before the Viaduct,” according to KING 5’s traffic reporter Tracy Taylor. Updates as we get them.
News for bus riders later this morning: Metro has been warning for a while about looming cuts if two funding sources run out next year. As noted here last night, its GM will talk with the media at 10 am today about a new report promising more specifics on how that might look.
Bicycle riders – a reminder of WSDOT’s alert that the crossover point on the shared-use path down along the downtown waterfront has shifted as of today.
ADDED 2:29 PM: If you missed our coverage earlier of the Metro briefing – here it is.
Earlier today, we mentioned the Seattle Times (WSB partner) update on the upcoming arrival – probably Tuesday – of the Highway 99 tunneling machine “Bertha.” Tonight, WSDOT asked us to share an alert for bicycle riders regarding how its arrival will affect the shared-use path along the Pioneer Square waterfront:
The first change will come on Monday, April 1, when the crossover will shift a block south, from South Jackson Street to South King Street.
Once we start unloading Bertha in 41 pieces from a vessel docked at Terminal 46, the path will be temporarily closed at South King Street several times per day. This is necessary to maintain safe path access while we move large equipment across the sidewalk. Police officers will be on site to help direct traffic while we move Bertha’s pieces.
The sidewalk near South King Street offers a great view of Bertha’s arrival point, so we’re expecting that people will gather on the path to catch a glimpse of Bertha being unloaded. Please ride with caution and expect delays if there are crowds.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Last morning commute of the week is under way, and there’s one big weekend closure to remind you about: If you will be heading toward West Seattle from the south at any point this weekend, avoid I-5 – northbound lane closures are planned just south of the West Seattle Bridge, between Albro and Spokane, and backups are expected. As WSDOT explains, this work is scheduled for NEXT weekend as well as THIS one.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:34 AM: Just getting word via Twitter from KING 5’s Tracy Taylor of a “crash on northbound 99 near the West Seattle Bridge” – waiting to hear if that’s north of the bridge or south. That and other updates to come.
7:40 AM: Also via Twitter, Dan reports: “Appears to be a stalled truck at WS br onramp to NB 99, then a fender bender 500′ further N.”
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:51 AM: Reminder of two downtown alerts first mentioned in yesterday’s roundup: A crowd at KeyArena 9 am-2:30 pm for “We Day,” morning, and a funeral procession for a Seattle firefighter from Fremont into downtown, 11:30-1 pm.
7:36 AM: No West Seattle Water Taxi effects that we know of, but if you’re among our Vashon-commuter readership, the VASHON WT run at 8:15 is canceled (along with the 7:40 am run from Seattle) – repairs needed.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
No traffic alerts as we start today – but there’s early warning of a possible downtown tie-up TOMORROW morning, because of the “We Day” event at KeyArena 9 am-2:30 pm Wednesday.
ADDED 11:55 AM: Another advisory for tomorrow, just in from SDOT:
In addition to potential traffic congestion associated with the We Day Seattle event at the Key Arena from 8:30 – 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, March 27, there will also be a funeral procession for a fallen Seattle Firefighter which could impact traffic. The procession, honoring Firefighter Jess Hernandez, will begin at 12:20 p.m. at the Fourth Avenue and Bell Street Fire Station and move west on Bell to Second Avenue; then south on Second to the Christ Our Hope Catholic Church at Stewart Street. The 500 participants will be escorted by Seattle Police. There will be a rolling slowdown as the procession makes its way to the church where they are expected to arrive at about 12:45 p.m. There will be no street closures, except along the route as the procession moves by. Motorists should allow extra time driving through Belltown during the noon hour or take an alternate route.
For your traffic-alert radar (we’ll link this atop the BIG STORIES list in our sidebar, too, as we always do with major traffic/weather alerts) – WSDOT is reminding everyone this morning of northbound I-5 lane closures between South Spokane St. and Albro Place the next two weekends – at least two lanes closed at a time for expansion-joint work, which means you’ll want to avoid that stretch of the freeway if you can. Details are here.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:33 AM: Nothing out of the ordinary reported on the roads right now, but if you use Washington State Ferries out of Fauntleroy, some early-morning runs were canceled because of what WSF described via e-mail alerts as “staffing issues.” WSF says everything will be back on schedule – the spring schedule that took effect yesterday – as of the 6:40 am run.
6:59 AM: Paul reports a RapidRide bus stalled on northbound California just north of Fauntleroy, sharing the photo you see above (thanks!).
7:09 AM: Bus has moved along, per commenter SeaChanty51 (thanks for the update!).
ROAD REPAIRS: When we reported last night that a city document showed repaving work scheduled for California SW between Holly and Myrtle (map), we promised a followup. We checked in with SDOT communications director Rick Sheridan, not just to verify that work, but to ask if anything else is coming up. The California SW paving work scheduled for 9 am-3 pm April 2nd and 3rd will be “spot repairs,” Sheridan verifies. As for the schedule ahead, he says “small-scale surface repair” is planned later in April for westbound SW 106th in Arbor Heights, between 35th and 37th SW. He says both of these projects are being paid for from the General Fund.
UTILITY PROJECT: As sometimes happens, when one note comes in with a question, another comes in simultaneously with an answer. Someone asked what’s happening with the road work in the 5000 block of California SW (near Rite-Aid); the reply is gas-line maintenance and it could close a lane, plus some of the parking, until the end of the month. It’s supposed to just happen between 9 am and 3 pm but our tipster reported seeing flaggers already set up with lane constriction at 7 am.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
If you head north to Snohomish County in your commute – they’ve been hit with snow, but nothing here. Here’s one example:
Again, that’s SNOHOMISH COUNTY – not us.
WEEKEND CLOSURES: Another reminder for tonight through Monday morning – the I-5 Spokane St. Interchange Special Bridge Repair Project will close ramps from the West Seattle Bridge to northbound I-5 and to Beacon Hill.
IF YOU NOTICE MORE POLICE DOWNTOWN – and in fact, Deborra already asked us about this, seeing a motorcade – SPD has tweeted “The Irish Prime Minister is in town, thus the reason for the increased police presence downtown.”
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
A weather alert for possible snow showers remains in effect this morning – more likely around the North Seattle/south Snohomish County “convergence zone,” but you’re now forewarned in case it happens further south. Road work reminders: It’s day 2 of Phase 2 work on the Delridge Way repaving project; Delridge is now closed in the southbound direction between Thistle and Trenton. And this weekend, you’ll find ramp closures Friday night through Monday morning because of the I-5 Spokane St. Interchange Special Bridge Repair Project: From the West Seattle Bridge, you won’t be able to get to northbound I-5 or to Beacon Hill.
DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC ALERT THIS MORNING: Police are investigating a shooting on the south end of downtown – the 911 log puts it at 2nd Avenue Ext. and S. Main; SPD, via Twitter, says 3rd/Washington (they’re both in the same triangle area shown on this map). The investigation is likely to affect traffic in that area for hours.
8:29 AM UPDATE: KING 5‘s traffic reporter Tracy Taylor tweets that the investigation scene has cleared.
8:55 AM NOTE: Thanks to Leeann for letting us know about a protest planned on Harbor Island this afternoon. We will write a separate story about it later but in the meantime, for commute purposes, here’s what it’s about, the indigenous/tribal movement Idle No More protesting the Northwest Washington coal-terminal proposal – always tough to figure out in advance whether a protest will attract dozens or hundreds, but some plan to march from Westlake to the SSA terminal on Harbor Island.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:43 AM: Spring has technically arrived, but it’s expected to make a stormy debut – the National Weather Service renewed its wind advisory overnight, 9 am-11 pm in our area, with gusts possibly up to 50 mph. SDOT is scheduled to start its work on Phase 2 of the Delridge repaving project today – we’ll check to see if the weather changes those plans, but for now, that means the work zone switches to Delridge between Thistle and Trenton, with the detour changing as announced last week – here’s the map:
Also a reminder for the weekend: Friday night through Monday morning, the I-5 Spokane St. Interchange Special Bridge Repair Project closes the ramps from the West Seattle Bridge to Beacon Hill and to northbound I-5 (plus a few others that don’t directly affect to/from-WS travel).
11:18 AM: If you’re driving/riding in the SODO area right now or any time soon, fire crews are dealing with a gas leak in the Occidental/Holgate vicinity (map).
| Comments Off on West Seattle traffic alert: Delridge/Thistle closure postponed