West Seattle, Washington
17 Wednesday
Thanks to Holly for the tip: If you drive Glenn Way between Oregon and Genesee (map) on the west edge of The Junction, note that a downed utility line is blocking one lane. No outage or crash listed online, so we don’t know the cause, but she says that despite warning cones, a few vehicles already have driven right over it. Nothing else unusual reported so far this morning, in WS or outbound (another reminder, we’ve recently added a few more cams to the WSB Traffic page).
Thanks to Bradly for the heads-up on a stalled car in the eastbound center lane on The Bridge – one of the bridge cams was even pointed at it when we took the screengrab above. (For the latest version, refresh the page and look at the “Traffic and Weather” view of the bridge atop the right sidebar – also note that if you click the bridge visual, it’ll take you to the WSB Traffic page with more cameras, and if you click the temperature icon below it, it’ll take you to our experimental – more features to be added, as we check how well the current ones work – WSB Weather page.)
If the reports we received are any indication, more than a few people are still stuck in this morning’s outbound-commute traffic, with bridge feeders like Avalon and Fauntleroy backed up more than usual, too. We’re checking with SDOT on whether anything in particular is to blame. In the meantime, here’s their weekly roundup of big events citywide that might affect traffic **this weekend** – read on:Read More
Another traffic alert for your calendar – the next westbound shutdowns of the Spokane Street Viaduct (the West Seattle Bridge between 99 and I-5). Just in from SDOT:
The contractor working to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct will close the structure’s westbound lanes just west of I-5 for three nights: September 7, 8 and 9. To complete necessary work, crews will also close First Avenue S at S Spokane Street overnight from September 6 through 10. Details are as follows:
• Westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closed September 7, 8 and 9
10 p.m. each night until 5 a.m. the next morning• First Avenue S at S Spokane Street closed September 6 – 10
9 p.m. each night until 5 a.m. the next morning – September 6 & 10
11 p.m. each night until 5 a.m. the next morning – September 7-9During the viaduct work, southbound I-5 traffic will be directed to the S Forest Street exit to access surface streets. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at 6th Avenue South. Motorists can still use southbound SR-99 to access West Seattle.
As we reported on Monday, the new 1st Avenue South on/off ramp, which is part of this project, will not be open before the 9-day Alaskan Way Viaduct shutdown Oct. 21-31, but SDOT says it should be open “by the end of the year.”
This could cause some backups, even on a Saturday, so here’s the heads-up from SDOT:
On Saturday, September 3, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be removing and repairing expansion joints on the Alaskan Way Viaduct southbound. They will be working from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Extension where the roadway increases from two to three lanes near S Hanford Street. In order to accomplish the work, the SDOT crew will move from left to right closing two of the three lanes at a time. Motorists should expect to slow down and be prepared to shift lanes as they pass by the work zone.
Two traffic alerts for today: Alki SW, from the Bathhouse to Anchor/Luna Park, will be closed until about 11 am for the Alki Beach 5K, which starts at 9 am, raising money for Northwest Hope and Healing to help breast-cancer patients (last-minute signups just started by Alki Bathhouse). And SDOT is doing paving work on the eastbound side of the 2600 block of SW Spokane – the detours are explained here.
ORIGINAL 10:11 PM REPORT: Police are closing the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, from 35th, Avalon, Delridge, as they deal with what is reported to be a possibly suicidal person on the bridge. We are monitoring the situation and as always, will update. Westbound remains open for now.
11 PM UPDATE: Police are still working to resolve the situation; eastbound bridge still closed, plus the inside westbound lane.
12:37 AM UPDATE: Eastbound bridge closed 2 1/2 hours now. Thanks to everyone for the updates. No change in the situation, in terms of what’s publicly monitorable.
2:10 AM: Four hours. Richard’s report in comments verifies something we’d heard on the scanner, that the SPD “mobile precinct” unit is out there.
2:57 AM: Despite four and a half hours of effort, including the work of at least one SPD negotiator who was dispatched, it appears the person has jumped/fallen. Police are now talking (scanner traffic) about calling the Medical Examiner, and impounding the motorcycle. They also are contacting train operators about not going through the area beneath the bridge for a while. This is the second bridge death in less than two months. Experts stress that suicide is a deadly symptom of mental illness; if you or someone you know needs help, Crisis Clinic has a 24-hour hotline: 206.461.3222.
3:19 AM: It’s just been announced the bridge is fully open again.
MONDAY EVENING NOTE: The KCME’s media hotline says the suicide victim was a 49-year-old woman.
6:15 PM: Just got word from Metro that “Southbound Routes 21 Express, 54, 55, 56, 113, 120, 121, 122, 125 traveling on Alaskan Way Viaduct are being rerouted due to traffic congestion. Westbound on Columbia St & 2 Ave stop will be missed. Use stops along 3 Ave between Pike St & Cherry St.”
6:49 PM UPDATE: Metro says the buses are back to their regular routes. Still not certain whether there was a specific cause of the “congestion” – nothing on the 911 log.
Just in from SDOT: Tonight’s scheduled westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closure (would have been the third night in a row) has been canceled; it’ll be rescheduled, but no date yet.
Besides the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct closure from 11 pm Friday night through 5 am Monday morning (at the latest), there are other traffic advisories around the city this weekend – so as usual, we’re sharing the official SDOT roundup (which includes, in West Seattle, Picnic at the Southwest Precinct, 1-4 pm Saturday, and in South Park, the “Lucha Libre” Mexican-wrestling spectacular street party 4-8 pm Saturday) – read on!Read More
As noted here eight days ago, the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed this weekend, scheduled for 11 pm Friday-5 am Monday. ONLY the southbound side. The official announcement, with a reminder about the looming nine-day October closure, is out this afternoon – read on:Read More
Heads up! This Tuesday has a confluence that might be a bit problematic between here and downtown. The Mariners and Sounders BOTH have 7 pm (ish) home games this Tuesday night (Sounders schedule here; M’s schedule here). If either runs really long, or if you hang out in the stadium zone afterward, remember Tuesday’s also the first of three scheduled late-night westbound closures for the Spokane Street Viaduct (as SDOT announced here), aka the West Seattle Bridge between 99 and I-5.
Almost forgot to share this weekend’s SDOT citywide traffic advisory, which includes two West Seattle events – the two-day Festival of India at Alki, and the Holy Rosary parish picnic. Read on for the full rundown:Read More
First: A reminder that until 8 tomorrow morning, SW Edmunds is completely closed for road repairs between California SW and 44th SW on the south end of The Junction:
Thanks to Karen for the “birds-eye view.” SDOT says eastbound will reopen tomorrow morning at 8, but westbound will remain closed until 8 tomorrow night.
Second: The city has just announced another round of westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closures for next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights:
The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct will close the structure’s westbound lanes just west of I-5 for three nights: August 16, 17 and 18. On August 16 and 17 crews will start work at 11:30 p.m. and on August 18 work will begin at 10 p.m. In each instance the roadway will re-open by 5 a.m. the next morning.
During this work, southbound I-5 traffic will be directed to the S Forest Street exit to access surface streets. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at 6th Avenue South. Motorists will still be able to access West Seattle from southbound SR-99.
Also, on August 15 the right lane of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed overnight, from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning. The I-5 westbound ramps will remain open.
And another reminder, as previously noted here, the next Alaskan Way Viaduct partial closure is scheduled right after that – late night Friday, August 19, through early morning Monday, August 22nd.
From SDOT:
SDOT paving crews will repair the roadway in the 4300 block of SW Edmunds Street between California Avenue SW and 44th Avenue SW on Thursday and Friday, August 11 and 12. Edmunds will be closed to both eastbound and westbound traffic on Thursday at 8 a.m. until Friday at 8 a.m., and closed to westbound traffic only on Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The bus stop for westbound buses will reopen Saturday morning once the new pavement has cured. Approximately one half block of pavement will be excavated and repaved.
(That’s the block on the north side of Uptown Espresso.)
For your planning-ahead purposes, note that the most recent round of SDOT traffic advisories mention a closure of the *southbound* Alaskan Way Viaduct coming up Friday night 8/19 through Monday morning 8/22.
Since the weekend traffic alerts start early this time around – with I-90 closures for the Blue Angels each of the next four days – SDOT is already out with its citywide weekend traffic advisory. Those closures are part of it, and there’s more, ahead:Read More
Just got word from WSDOT that the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct is open again, as of just before 9 pm; that’s eight hours earlier than they expected to reopen it following a construction closure, and it means both directions are back to regular operation.
Before we get to the weekend, it’s the end-of-week summertime tradition – SDOT‘s list of areas around the city where big events are guaranteed – or likely – to have big traffic effects. The two-part Alaskan Way Viaduct closure (northbound Saturday night for the Seafair Torchlight Run, then southbound early Sunday through early Monday for construction) is part of the list. Read on!Read More
9:55 AM: If you haven’t headed toward downtown (or beyond) yet – you might want to wait. We were on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge for a while around 9 am and it was worse than usual for that time; then, heading back en route to cover the Morgan Junction crash, it had worsened by 9:20 am – probably because of what’s listed on the 911 log as a crash on northbound I-5 at Spokane. 10:22 AM: We’re adding a larger version of the “live” bridge cam, so you can check it for updates.
6:23 PM: A crash reportedly involving a semi is affecting traffic going to the northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge from the Highland Park/South Park end (map). More to come.
7:02 PM: Adding a photo WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz sent – you can see the truck was on its side right by the under-construction transfer station. Going to check on the status, since we haven’t heard anything new.
(Photo courtesy Mike)
7:23 PM: A tow truck is working right now to get the truck upright; ramp still closed.
10:15 PM: WSDOT says the ramp was re-opened by 9 pm.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: We checked with Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Moore to ask about injuries: Moore says, “The force of the crash knocked out the windshield to the truck cab. When our firefighters arrived, they helped the man out through the windshield area of the cab. He suffered minor injuries, just bruising and banged up a but he is okay. AMR transported him to Harborview as a precaution. The semi-truck did leak fuel. We threw down absorbent material to pick up the fuel.” (Note: AMR is the private ambulance service – when you see the white vehicles with red trim at incident scenes, that’s usually what it is, and it usually means injuries are NOT life-threatening.)
Once again, SDOT has called off the plan to close the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct for a few nights for the ongoing widening work. So it’ll be fully OPEN tonight through Friday night, after all. No new date yet.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
2:58 PM: If you’re heading east on The Bridge from the Fauntleroy end any time soon, heads up – a crash is backing up traffic. One of the cameras is pointed at it as of this writing; the 911 log describes it as parallel with Admiral.
3:51 PM: Crash scene cleared, according to that city webcam pic. Adding an image from WSB’s Christopher Boffoli, taken before it cleared.
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