West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
4:27 PM: Trouble on the westbound bridge. The 911 log shows two incidents; the camera view above shows what is described as a medical call.
4:38 PM: One person who’s just gone through the area says it’s definitely very slow going getting onto the bridge, particularly from I-5. So if you use motorized transportation and can wait a while to head for home – that might be your best option.
4:43 PM: Via radio communications, police report “the high rise is clear.” The residual backup might take a while to ease, though.
(P.S. The live camera view also has been moved by WSDOT back to its regular angle at the I-5 interchange, but it showed the east side of the westbound high-rise approach while the incident was still unfolding.)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Second day of repaving work on California SW between Frontenac and Myrtle – with some work already done outside those boundaries. And once again, here’s the Saturday reminder: Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon closures that day will include NB 99.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
As we start today’s traffic/transit watch, remember that California SW repaving between Myrtle and Frontenac is scheduled for today and tomorrow. We’ll be checking later this morning to see if the heavy equipment indeed shows up and gets going.
And the advance reminder again – if you expect to leave the peninsula on Saturday, review the closures for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon, including NB 99.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: Summer is now officially here – well, traffic-wise, anyway, since school’s out. Otherwise – we start with traffic alerts for later this week:
*California SW repaving Tuesday-Wednesday between Myrtle and Frontenac
*Saturday closures for Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, including NB 99
3:44 PM UPDATE: West Marginal Way is closed north of Highland Park Way because of a crash – ongoing coverage here.
Early warning, since this one tends to sneak up unless you happen to be running in it: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon/Half-Marathon is next Saturday (June 22nd), and as usual, it brings road closures – most notably for our area, Northbound 99. According to the closure list on the marathon website, northbound 99 will be closed 5 am-3:30 pm Saturday from Hudson (on the East Marginal Way section) to Roy, north of downtown. Here’s a map. Full road info, from maps to parking notes, can be found here.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Congratulations to everybody who’s made it through another school year – some schools already are out, but today’s the final day for Seattle Public Schools and those who follow its calendar (one-hour early dismissal). Meantime, we’re watching the roads for anything you need to know about.
10:57 PM: Thanks to everyone for texts, e-mails, other messages about a car flipped on 60th south of Alki SW. The driver was not seriously hurt. Earlier, a flipped vehicle in the Battery St Tunnel backed up NB 99, and an SUV overturned on the eastbound WS Bridge. DUI is suspected in this one. More to come.
11:20 PM: Just back from the scene. Added a photo from a reader who asked to be anonymous, adding, “Car turned on to 60th and hit a parked car and flipped on 60th …,” also pointing out how narrow that stretch of road is. We’ll check our photos shortly. A tow truck had arrived, so 60th – closed between Stevens and Alki – should reopen before long, if it hasn’t already.
(Photo added, by Joanne Murray of Murray’s J2 Photography)
4 PM: Not a good afternoon on the roads. Now there’s word of another “heavy rescue” call, which we’re told is a rollover crash on the eastbound bridge near Walking on Logs. Two people tell us via Twitter that it’s a flipped vehicle.
4:15 PM UPDATE: Adding a traffic-cam view that currently shows the scene. Again, avoid the eastbound bridge from Fauntleroy. We *believe* the entrances further east are unaffected.
5:11 PM UPDATE: The eastbound bridge has reopened – we were at Fauntleroy/35th when the two SPD cars who had been blocking it pulled away and traffic started using it again. Still checking for other information about the crash and whether anyone was hurt.
7:04 PM UPDATE: Added a photo shared by Joanne Murray. Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says the vehicle driver got out without assistance and was not hurt.
3:05 PM: If you are headed downtown – we’d suggest avoiding northbound 99 for a while. There’s a “heavy rescue” response on NB 99 at the Battery Street Tunnel – and we’re seeing backups on the cameras on our Traffic page.
4:09 PM: Traffic is moving again on NB 99, according to a commenter. Here’s some preliminary information from police about what happened.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Here as always is the bridge-camera view, as the commute begins.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Today’s commute is under way with nothing unusual in the routes around/through our area. Updates to come if/when that changes.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
It’s not in view on that bridge camera, but the day starts with trouble on the westbound bridge, a semitruck fire. (Added postcommute: Photo from Cheri:)
(back to original story) It’s near the Harbor Island exit, according to one reader report, and affecting westbound Route 21 buses, according to a Metro alert.
6:12 AM UPDATE: The truck IS visible right now on the bridge camera that points westbound, at the exit in the foreground:
6:22 AM UPDATE: Westbound traffic is getting by, and if you look closely, you can see a tow truck has arrived. No lingering eastbound effects.
7:24 AM UPDATE: As noted in comments, and as you can see in the camera view above, the truck has been towed. Metro has sent an update that Route 21 westbound is back to its regular route.
7:39 AM NOTE: Almost forgot till a question came in via Facebook – the county announced last week that the West Seattle Water Taxi IS running an “extended schedule” tonight to handle the soccer and M’s games. And note that travel through SODO this evening will be affected by the two stadium events.
4:30 PM: Don’t know yet if it’ll be solved quickly or not so quickly, but heads-up since we’re going into pm commute time – a WSB team member heading north on California toward Morgan Junction says the California/Fauntleroy intersection signal lights seem to be having trouble. Headed off to check.
5:45 PM: Apparently not so quickly – word via Twitter is, it’s still not working properly. Avoid the intersection TFN.
7:19 PM: Just went through – signal working, city crew still working on the cabinet.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Monday! It’s the last week of school for most local students. For bus riders, it’s the first weekday since the Metro and Sound Transit “service changes” went into effect on Saturday – here’s a reminder of what they involve.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing unusual as the Friday morning commute moves toward its peak. Looking ahead to the weekend – here’s the city’s weekly roundup of big events and closures (nothing in our immediate area).
8:37 AM: Thanks to Brian Presser from TouchTech Systems in The Junction for the tip that the 42nd/Alaska lights are on flashing red. That means 4-way stop. And as we were writing this, we got a call from someone that Fauntleroy/Alaska is out too.
3:28 PM: For RapidRide riders – a little more clarification from Metro regarding the changes starting tomorrow.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Another sunny start to the commute; sunglasses are a must for most. Two notes:
BICYCLE MASTER PLAN: The city’s brand-new draft of the updated Bicycle Master Plan is out – see it here. If you can’t make it to any of the in-person open houses, there’s an online “webinar” about it today, noon-1 pm – register here.
BUS CHANGES ON SATURDAY: RapidRide C Line and Routes 56/57 will see a few changes when Metro‘s next service change takes effect this Saturday – here are the West Seattle-specific details from the reminder issued yesterday. Sound Transit’s periodic changes start the same day; they include a big change to Route 560, as previously announced.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Quiet start to the commute, but a note for those who travel through SODO – you’ll note activity at Safeco Field this morning, an event with thousands of students arriving for Weather Education Day; after that, the Mariners have a day game.
TRAFFIC APP, ANYONE? The city says it’s working on a traffic app, among other things, and wants to know your general thoughts on what it should be offering for smartphones, tablets, etc. If interested, take this really short survey.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
7:18 AM: Nothing unusual reported on the West Seattle-and-vicinity routes as we move toward the heart of the commute. Reminder for tonight: The Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council will devote its entire meeting to Metro, 6:30 pm, Chief Sealth International High School Library – details on the WWRHAH website; all welcome.
7:30 AM: The biggest regional problem of the moment isn’t likely to affect anyone outbound from here but if you are heading back this way from points east/northeast – a semitruck has gone sideways across the entirety of southbound I-405 in Renton.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
First weekday of the new month. One traffic alert – 55th SW is scheduled to be closed between Lander and Alki for water-main work, as per the Seattle Public Utilities announcement we recently published.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
7:37 AM: So far nothing major reported today, but we begin with a reminder of this weekend’s intersection closure, part of the Delridge Way repaving project: From 7 tonight until early Monday, the Delridge/Holden intersection will be closed. Here again is the announcement, which lists the detour route.
8:21 AM: Beware possible trouble in the works on northbound I-5, just beyond downtown – a truck is reported to have stalled on the Ship Canal Bridge.
8:42 AM: Crash at 1st and East Marginal.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning!
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
6:57 AM: If for some reason you are reading this from north of downtown, getting ready to head this way – whatever you do, stay off I-5; southbound 5 is blocked by a truck crash/fire in the heart of downtown.
(Thanks to Bruce for the photo)
NORTHBOUND I-5 is moving along, though.
8:32 AM: However, commenters warn below, it’s ugly getting out of West Seattle this morning, just the same, even though the main downtown trouble is for people going in the opposite direction.
9:18 AM: If you are heading back into West Seattle on 99, the southbound side is extra-busy, no doubt because of the southbound I-5 situation. Also a few advance notes for this weekend:
DELRIDGE/HOLDEN CLOSED: Reminder about the intersection closure Friday night till Monday morning.
520 CLOSED: Friday night till Monday morning; WSDOT details here.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
We’ve added this to the daily traffic/transit tracker but because it’s fairly major at the moment – Michelle tells us a stalled car is what’s behind the big backup on the westbound bridge right now. This kind of problem doesn’t show up on 911, so we’re dependent on reader tips – but ONLY if you’re not behind the wheel! If you’re on a bus or in a carpool or otherwise NOT driving, we’re reachable by text/voice 206-293-6302 any time.
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