(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
No trouble reported in the early going (after a busy Tuesday!) on the main routes from/to/through West Seattle, though if you happen to be headed this way from the south, take note there’s a crash around mid-Boeing Field that’s “partially blocking two lanes,” according to WSDOT.

9:26 AM: Thanks to commenters for tracking some late-in-the-commute bridge trouble. There was an eastbound crash, and a reported westbound slowdown, though we are not sure what caused the latter.

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:38 AM: As forecast, the wind calmed down overnight. No early reports of trouble on the main routes from/to/through West Seattle. Let us know how it’s going for you.

8:05 AM UPDATE: Big backup on the bridge, and we’re hearing that it’s slower than usual getting to the bridge too. Only major call we know of is a car fire on northbound I-5 at Mercer. Let us know if you see something else. In West Seattle, there is a heavy-rescue call for a crash at 48th/Spokane, which is near both Madison and Schmitz Park schools – we are on the way to find out what’s going on.

9:17 AM UPDATE: Here’s our full report on that 48th/Spokane crash, which has cleared. Still don’t know exactly what the problem was with Avalon. There’s a report being checked out right now of a possible semitruck stalled at West Marginal/Highland Park Way, so if you head that way and encounter trouble, let us know. Sometimes we’ll hear dispatches on the scanner to possible problems – and not always hear the upshot.

10:01 AM UPDATE: From Washington State Ferries – the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth run is down a boat:

The Klahowya will be temporarily out of service for necessary repairs to the vessel. This cancels the following sailings: 9:30 a.m. Vashon>Southworth, 9:50 a.m. SW>Vashon, 10:10 a.m. Vason>Fauntleroy, and 10:40 a.m. Fauntleroy>Vashon. Updates will occur when more information becomes available.

11:04 AM UPDATE: If you’re driving through the White Center area, note that there is an incident at 16th/Delridge/Roxbury right now – a man reportedly hit by a bus. We’re there checking it out and our coverage is on our partner site White Center Now.

11:43 AM UPDATE: Route 120 is being routed off eastbound Roxbury because of the aforementioned incident, according to a Metro text alert. Meantime, Terminal 5 tech problems are still slowing truck traffic there, per an SDOT alert and a comment on this thread. Thanks again to everybody for getting in the spirit of this and providing ongoing updates!

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:09 AM OVERVIEW: We’re continuing our new series of weekday reports providing a dedicated place each day to talk about traffic and transit – from road/bridge/highway/bus/bike-path (etc.) happenings, to big-picture issues, including what you’re seeing while riding Metro in the third week of RapidRide C Line and other changes (if you’re catching up, here are our Friday reports and yours). We’ll post updates as needed throughout the day; if you have something to report, you can comment here OR contact us any way that works for you. Speaking of issues – TONIGHT’s the night for the Sustainable West Seattle forum on transportation, with Metro, SDOT, city government leaders among others – 7 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle in The Junction.

WEATHER OUTLOOK: The rain is taking a break as the morning commute begins. Breezy and wet is the outlook for afternoon.

5:01 PM UPDATE: Crash reported, with heavy-rescue response, on the westbound West Seattle Bridge, at or near the Delridge offramp. Separate story to come.

5:07 PM UPDATE: The crash is on Delridge itself, at the north end, by Station 36, according to scanner traffic, NOT on the bridge.

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:24 AM: We asked on Wednesday what you think about a daily dedicated thread for traffic and transit reports, from you and from us – consensus seemed to be, go for it. So here we go. No big trouble currently – we’re monitoring various sources and will update if there’s anything of note.

7:39 AM: Still quiet. No rain yet but the weather folks say tomorrow might bring a wet commute. Also of note tomorrow, no classes Friday in Seattle Public Schools, which will likely alter traffic patterns.

9:58 AM ALERT – ramp from West Seattle Bridge to I-5 north is closed, apparently a diesel spill. Keep an eye on the live camera at the top of the page – we’ll update when it’s cleared.

10:42 AM UPDATE: SDOT says a stalled vehicle linked to this is cleared and the live cam looks OK now so we’re dropping this story back to its time-appropriate slot on the home page.

5:19 PM UPDATE: Couple of Metro-related notes – First, County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who represents West Seattle (and White Center, Vashon/Maury, and some surrounding areas), has sent his latest “e-newsletter” summarizing his view of the bus changes, what’s been done about concerns, what’s in the works, and what he says “you can do” – read it all here.

Meantime, Metro has not yet provided the numbers it used to generate the information referred to in the “Very preliminary numbers, from some initial checks, show about a 15 to 20 percent ridership increase” quote from the system’s boss, Kevin Desmond. What we got back from spokesperson Jeff Switzer today was:

Metro planners made direct field observations Oct. 4 and 9, 10, 11, with plans for more data collection in the field and through our automatic passenger counters that are on about 15% of Metro coaches (more on RapidRide). The increase noted was during the morning commute from 7-9 a.m. We also had reports of crowded buses and passed stops that prompted us to add trips for the RapidRide C line. While the data is preliminary, we hope that this continues to signal increasing ridership demand.

We have renewed our request for the actual numbers – however preliminary and small they might have been – that suggested a “ridership increase.” Switzer subsequently elaborated, “Metro is still gathering data to confirm that the initial observations are accurate and consistent.”

8:08 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Trileigh for the tip – stuck semi-truck at California and Edmunds causing some trouble, with traffic having to make its way carefully around it.

When we reported last month on “The Residence at 3295,” the long-in-progress apartment building at 35th and Avalon, the question came up in comments: What about the sidewalk? Today, we have the answer – the work is under way. Thanks to Tim for the tip; note that it might mean slower going around the corner there.

While you might bump into ongoing West Seattle projects this week – including the start of the Arbor Heights water-main work – there are NO freeway/bridge closures scheduled:

*Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – the only traffic effects this week will be from some lane closures on 1st Avenue S. near Spokane to install sensors (explained here). P.S. No date set yet – as of our last check, anyway – for reopening westbound surface Spokane St.

*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – **No** closures scheduled this week (scroll down this page).

(Refresh for latest “live” picture from traffic cam looking at NB 99)
5:55 PM: A crash on 99, first reported on southbound, then northbound, is affecting bridge traffic too – per the scanner, police intend to block off the 99 exit from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge “to alleviate (the) traffic mess.” No details of the crash itself, but we’ve been monitoring the traffic effects.

6:09 PM UPDATE: Metro says this is affecting buses too. Traffic apparently at a complete standstill.

6:39 PM UPDATE: Still backed up. No ETA yet. No scanner updates yet – if you are in it and finally get out of it, **when you get to your destination** (no texting and driving!) let us know, because we’re about to be away from the scanner for a while, though we’re monitoring other information channels. Thanks.

WEST MARGINAL WAY: A traffic alert from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, about work that’ll be happening over the next few weeks: They’ll have contractors “replacing manholes at the intersections of West Marginal Way SW and Southwest Idaho Street, and West Marginal Way SW and Southwest Alaska Street” starting tomorrow, according to spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson. Her advisory continues:

The project could last for up to a couple of weeks, and work hours will be from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays, with some night work expected in mid-October to restore sections of West Marginal Way.

Drivers can expect traffic control set up on both sides of the work site to shift traffic around the site. Flaggers will be on hand to ease congestion and accommodate entry and exit to and from facilities near the work sites, including the City of Seattle’s Herring’s House Park parking lot.

Thinking manhole covers generally seemed sturdy enough to last forever, we asked Kolb-Nelson for a little more info about exactly what’s being done. Her reply: “While sewer infrastructure is built to last for many decades, daily wear-and-tear eventually takes a toll, even on non-mechanical equipment like manholes. The workers are replacing the manhole rings and covers in the intersections, which take a lot of stress from traffic, especially heavy trucks.”

SPOKANE STREET VIADUCT RAMP CLOSURE DATE CHANGE: Just found out from SDOT that the date of an overnight ramp closure is changing. The 1st Avenue South offramp from the WESTBOUND SSV will be closed 3 am till 9 am this Saturday morning (October 6th), instead of for a few hours Thursday morning. (We’ll be updating our standing list of traffic alerts – always linked atop the WSB sidebar – ASAP.)

Here’s the weekly list of traffic alerts – including a look ahead to NEXT weekend, when a full 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct closure is planned from Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon:

TONIGHT (Sunday 9/30): Southbound 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed between the Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge fromm 9 pm tonight till 5 am Monday morning.

MONDAY (10/1): Two West Seattle projects continuing all week: First: Intensified work at the Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project may lead to intermittent lane closures at and near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal as soon as today, as explained on the 2nd page of this flyer. Work hours are expected to run 7 am-5:30 pm, Mondays-Fridays. Second: Ongoing Arbor Heights sidewalk and signal work at and south of 35th/Roxbury.

TUESDAY (10/2): Same as Monday. (Added: Highland Park Way work during the day, explained here.)

WEDNESDAY (10/3): Same as Tuesday. (Added: The West Marginal Way manhole work announced Tuesday – details here.)

THURSDAY (10/4): Same as Wednesday, plus: One brief early-morning closure for the almost-complete Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. (Moved to Saturday)

FRIDAY (10/5): Same as Wednesday.

SATURDAY (10/6): In addition to the 99/Viaduct closure (see next item), the offramp to 1st Avenue South from the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled for closure 3 am-9 am.

NEXT WEEKEND, AVOID 99: Both directions of 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed between the Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge for the semiannual inspection and maintenance, 6 am Saturday 10/6 till 4 pm Sunday 10/7. And a North Seattle note: Highway 99 across the Aurora Bridge will be one lane in each direction from 9 pm Friday 10/5 till 2 pm Sunday 10/7.

Just in from SDOT:

SDOT pavement marking crews will re-mark lines on the West Seattle Bridge tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 22, weather permitting. They plan to begin at approximately 4:30 am and complete the work by 3:30 pm.

The crews do not expect to close lanes, but motorists will need to slow down when driving behind the paint trucks which travel an average of three to six miles an hour during this operation. Motorists are asked to drive cautiously, allowing the crews plenty of room to do their work safely.

Another section of the remaining bumpy stretches of Beach Drive is getting help right now – Atlas to Juneau, as announced by SDOT last week. Traffic is getting through, but one lane at a time, so you may have to stop and wait for a bit. The work is expected to continue till about 7 this evening and then again 8 am-7 pm tomorrow. With this and the section that was repaved back in May, only the section abutting the long-disputed (now settled), slide-prone slope will remain, and the city says that’ll be fixed once the slope work is done (no timetable yet).

(SDOT “live” camera looking north along 99)
The new northbound section of Highway 99 through SODO is open (the closure ended early, last night) and the 1st Avenue offramp from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct opens Wednesday. Those are highlights of this week’s day-by-day/night-by-night traffic-alerts list (compiled from lists provided by SDOT and by WSDOT):

SUNDAY 9/16 (tonight)
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Nothing planned

MONDAY 9/17
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Tonight, SDOT says, “Surface S Spokane Street west of East Marginal Way will be restricted overnight from 10 p.m. on Monday until 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning. During this time, northbound traffic on East Marginal Way wishing to turn west onto S Spokane Street will be detoured to the north and directed to make a u-turn. Southbound traffic on East Marginal Way will be permitted to turn west onto S Spokane Street.”

TUESDAY 9/18
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Tonight, SDOT says, “First Avenue S, from the on/off-ramp to the north side of the intersection of First Avenue S and S Spokane Street will be closed from 10 p.m. on Tuesday until 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning. The on/off-ramp connecting the westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct with First Avenue S will remain open during the closure.”
West Seattle road work alert: Beach Drive between Atlas and Juneau is scheduled for resurfacing, with the work planned 8 am-7 pm.

WEDNESDAY 9/19
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: From SDOT, “The eastbound off-ramp at First Avenue S will reopen Wednesday morning … The same morning, First Avenue S between S Spokane and S Horton Streets will be returned to two travel lanes in each direction, and the eastbound stretch of surface S Spokane Street from East Marginal Way to First Avenue S will reopen.”
West Seattle road work alert: Beach Drive between Atlas and Juneau is scheduled for resurfacing, with the work planned 8 am-7 pm.

THURSDAY 9/20
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct: Closed southbound between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am.
Spokane Street Viaduct: Nothing planned.

FRIDAY 9/21-SATURDAY 9/22-SUNDAY 9/23
99/Alaskan Way Viaduct:
Spokane Street Viaduct:

The latest version of this list is always linked atop the WSB sidebar and atop the WSB Traffic page.

KeyArena meeting traffic has backed up northbound I-5 and West Seattle outbound commuters before, so we’re sharing this SDOT alert:

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 13, a crowd of 15,000 is expected to attend the Microsoft Annual Company Meeting at the Key Arena. The meeting is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Attendees will begin arriving at the Seattle Center in 200 buses and some 4,000 private vehicles as early as 8:30 a.m. Motorists should expect heavy congestion in the morning between the I-5 Mercer off-ramp and the Seattle Center and on streets surrounding the Center. The beginning of the afternoon commute could well be impacted in the same area as attendees will be leaving the meeting at approximately 3:30 p.m. Drivers should plan ahead for possible delays.

Another section of Beach Drive is in for paving work – according to this SDOT announcement received this afternoon:

SDOT paving crews plan to grind and pave the roadway on Beach Drive SW from Atlas Place SW to SW Juneau Street on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 18 and 19 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, if weather permits. All sidewalks and crossings will remain open. A single travel lane will be shared by both directions of traffic, with traffic flaggers assisting drivers through the area.

Earlier this year SDOT crews repaved an area of Beach Drive to the south of the current area. The section of Beach Drive between the two repaved areas will be repaved once work is completed to stabilize the slope.

The current work on Beach Drive SW is part of the annual paving program funded by the Bridging the Gap transportation initiative approved by Seattle voters in 2006.

8:23 AM: If you drive, bicycle, or use transit on 4th Avenue South south of the West Seattle Bridge (Spokane Street Viaduct), plan an alternate route – a crash at 4th/Industrial (near Costco) is reported to be blocking both directions of 4th in the area, including the bridge over the railroad tracks. Buses are being diverted. The image above is from the SDOT camera at 4th and Michigan, south of the crash scene and north of the 1st Avenue South Bridge.

9:36 AM UPDATE: Seattle Fire says their crews spent 15 minutes cutting the driver out of the wreckage. He is 55 years old and in critical condition with head trauma, according to SFD.

11:11 AM UPDATE: SDOT has tweeted that the scene is clear.

For tonight and beyond, this week’s edition of the day-by-day/night-by-night traffic-alert list for routes to and from West Seattle, as taken from the most recent SDOT announcement and the newest WSDOT list:

SUNDAY 9/9 (tonight)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed till 5 am Monday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge

MONDAY 9/10
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Monday to 5 am Tuesday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “Two westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed … between I-5 and SR 99 from 11 pm-5 am … The northbound I-5 off-ramp and the Columbian (Way) ramp to westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will also both be closed.”

TUESDAY 9/11
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Tuesday to 5 am Wednesday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “Two westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed … between I-5 and SR 99 from 11 pm-5 am … The northbound I-5 off-ramp and the Columbian (Way) ramp to westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will also both be closed.”

WEDNESDAY 9/12
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed each night at the off-ramp to northbound SR99 … 10 pm-5 am. Traffic on the West Seattle Bridge will be detoured to northbound SR99. Traffic wishing to continue further east will be diverted to the lower Spokane roadway in West Seattle.”

THURSDAY 9/13
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed each night at the off-ramp to northbound SR99 … 10 pm-5 am. Traffic on the West Seattle Bridge will be detoured to northbound SR99. Traffic wishing to continue further east will be diverted to the lower Spokane roadway in West Seattle.”

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY 9/14-9/16
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – (Monday update) 11 pm Friday-5 am Monday, “Northbound SR 99 will be closed between South Royal Brougham Way and the West Seattle Bridge” per WSDOT.
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Aside from ongoing 1st Avenue S. exit closure (it’s reopening Wednesday morning 9/19), nothing scheduled
*NON-HIGHWAY NOTE: California SW and Alaska SW will be closed in the heart of The Junction all day Sunday for the West Seattle Junction Car Show – see you there!

(Photo courtesy Tyler – added 12:50 pm)
12:31 PM: At least one person is reported hurt in a crash that the 911 log says is on the westbound bridge – described on the scanner as involving a vehicle on the median. If you happen to see this while getting ready to head back this way from points east, you’ll want to use another route – low bridge, 1st Avenue South Bridge – for now. (The only city bridge camera that’s working shows a backup on the eastbound side – adding the image here – so avoid the bridge entirely for a while.)

12:44 PM UPDATE: Commenters say the crashed vehicle is a red pickup. From one: “Truck involved in accident is hanging by 2 tires off the westbound median sideways.”

12:50 PM UPDATE: Added a photo (thanks, Tyler!). Per scanner, police are reopening the westbound side of the bridge.

4:19 PM UPDATE: The scene is long clear but we’ve received a few more photos. The one above is from David.

(SDOT’s “live” cam looking east over the bridge; the westbound camera is out of service)
8:06 AM: A crash toward the east end of the eastbound West Seattle Bridge has backed up traffic worse than usual. (Thanks to those who have texted about this, but don’t text if you’re driving!) We don’t have full details but SDOT says it’s a multiple-vehicle crash, and Seattle Fire medics have been on the scene assisting.

8:26 AM UPDATE: SDOT tweets that the crash scene has cleared, so here’s hoping the backup will start to ease a bit – aside from the usual commute intensity.