West Seattle, Washington
01 Friday
That map is from the first official progress report on the Highway 99 tunneling machine since the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure began. Here’s the WSDOT announcement we just received:
As of 6 p.m. Friday, Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, had dug 6.5 feet of the approximately 385 feet of tunnel that must be completed before the Alaskan Way Viaduct reopens to traffic. This pace is what we expected. The machine will proceed slowly and deliberately throughout the first few days. Visit our tracking page to see a map showing Bertha’s progress.
Bertha must dig through a few more feet of concrete to exit the maintenance stop before she starts to dig through the soil near the intersection of Yesler and Alaskan Way. Look for another progress update Saturday afternoon.
WSDOT has said that the machine will be digging around the clock while it goes beneath The Viaduct. Tonight’s full update, including the afternoon traffic overview, is here. Here are our coverage links from Day 1:
*Morning traffic/transit coverage
*Afternoon/evening traffic/transit coverage
Two West Seattle biznotes, both from 35th and Barton.
YES, TONY’S MARKET WILL OPEN: It’s been the most-asked question in the WSB inbox for weeks now – will the family-owned produce stand Tony’s Market ever reopen? We have been going by daily for weeks and haven’t seen anyone to ask; the phone number’s out of service; other ways of trying to find out just didn’t work. Today, someone texted us that activity had been sighted at the red/white/green tent, so we headed that way. Yes, the stand WILL open, in a week to week and a half, we learned. No other details but for those fearing that Tony’s would not reopen this season at all, there’s the answer. Last year, the market didn’t reopen until May 1st, attributing the later-than-previously-usual start to site work including parking-lot rehab.
PROPEL BIODIESEL WILL CLOSE: While taking the photo of Tony’s from the other side of Barton, we noticed this sign on the Propel biodiesel pump island:
It’s been eight years since the little biodiesel station opened on the north side of what was then an Exxon station and mini-mart, and has since become a 7-11. According to this online reply to a disappointed customer, Propel is focusing “on E85 and DieselHPR in California.”
(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL INFOSITE for #99Closure; BRIDGE CLOSURES; morning coverage HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
4:05 PM: Good afternoon – we’ll be covering traffic/transit this pm in our usual morning style, since it’s the first inbound commute of the two-weeks-or-so Viaduct closure.
Updates first: WSDOT confirms that the tunneling machine did start its beneath-the-Viaduct journey around 9 am. The first progress report is expected in a few hours … @voght tweeted that the 30th/Yancy/Avalon intersection, scene of safety-project work the past few hours, is now fully open again.
4:17 PM: Car vs. pedestrian crash reported at 1st/Horton. … Moments later, also via scanner, police report they and SFD responders aren’t finding either car OR pedestrian.
4:52 PM: Multiple commenters report the Lander bus reroute headed this way is delay-plagued because of trains.
5:08 PM: Remember the stadium zone is extra-busy because the Mariners are home tonight, hosting Kansas City. We’re headed outbound to see what the inbound routes look like outside of webcam range.
5:21 PM: Crash under the bridge, near 26th/Spokane, with injuries. We’re heading that way. (added) Per the photo Josh tweeted, passing on a bus, it’s along the trail on the westbound side of Spokane. Per scanner, victim is a pedestrian hit by a vehicle; injuries include a broken leg.
5:39 PM: Right lane of westbound Spokane is blocked, right by the 26th SW sign (and a “stop for pedestrians” sign).
Left lane is getting by. Bike/pedestrian trail is open. The victim, a 57-year-old woman, will be taken to the hospital by medic unit. The driver is still at the scene, talking with officers. Transit note: Standing-room-only 21 just went by.
5:47 PM: After leaving that scene, we’re continuing eastbound to see how some of the inbound routes look. Low bridge is wide open. We’re on surface East Marginal north of Spokane now, passing the cargo terminals; little traffic also flowing well both ways – more southbound bicycles than any other vehicles.
5:58 PM: Heading back into West Seattle. The crash scene mentioned above on westbound lower Spokane is now completely clear.
6:24 PM: For the first time in more than 12 hours, and only the second time today, the “low bridge” is closing to land-based traffic so it can open for vessel traffic, per @SDOTbridges (which we are linking to the top of each commute report during the Viaduct closure).
6:34 PM: Big current problem – apparently a train-crossing gate on Lander is stuck in the down position and buses using that as the reroute are backed up in a big way.
6:38 PM: The “low bridge” has reopened to land-based traffic.
7:01 PM: Scanner – the train gates should be “functioning” again. Meantime, the Water Taxi’s about to shift into its hourly mode for the rest of the evening. We stopped by Seacrest briefly about an hour ago.
As a sizable group (we’re hoping to get the pm numbers later) disembarked, a downtown-bound line awaited. In comments, Elton says about 100 people were in line downtown a short time ago, awaiting the current run back this way. Michelle shared this look at what the downtown queue for the 5:15 trip to WS:
That photo was courtesy of her sweetie, who was first in line.
8:30 PM: We’ve learned from King County DOT that the run all those people were waiting for had a ridership of 236 – not far from capacity, and more than four times the passengers on the same run last week.
Another West Seattle business has been hit by burglars. This time, O’Neill Plumbing (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction. Tim O’Neill tells WSB that they “cut open a fence, punched out locks on trucks, and made off with several tools.” They have surveillance video and are offering a reward. First video shows the burglars’ truck arriving:
Second shows one burglar:
Third clip shows another:
The burglary happened early this morning at O’Neill’s headquarters at 6056 California SW.
12:57 PM: We’re getting word of a big Seattle Police response near Highland Park Way and Holden right now – you might see the Guardian One helicopter helping with the search too. SPD tells us it’s a foot pursuit of someone who ran from police, a possible suspect in a package theft. We’re on the way to find out more.
1 PM: We’re not there yet but hearing via scanner that the suspect might be in custody.
1:14 PM: About all we can verify is that the search is over – helicopter left and police cleared just as we were running up – had to park on the other side of Holden and traffic was too jammed for an easy crossing. Will follow up shortly with media relations in hopes their system has the info.
(Photo by Lynn Hall – first cruise ship of the season, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, seen from Alki this morning)
So you survived the first Viaduct-closure commute. Or, you didn’t commute at all. Here’s what’s happening for the rest of today tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ST. JOHN’S RUMMAGE SALE: Want to hone your shopping skills for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, which is two weeks from tomorrow? Here’s a big sale to shop today! Until 7 pm, it’s day 1 of the big rummage sale at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. (3050 California SW)
WORLD DANCE PARTY: 6 pm at Delridge Community Center, the kickoff to DNDA’s Cultural Events Series! Details here. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
SENIOR CENTER RAINBOW BINGO: “Pajama Party” is the theme; the night starts with treats at 6, then bingo at 7. More info in our calendar listing – check ASAP to see if there’s still room! (California SW/SW Oregon)
LIVE MUSIC: Christy McWilson at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
‘LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE’: 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall, presented by Twelfth Night Productions. Ticket info is in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
‘DEATH OF A SALESMAN’: 7:30 pm at ArtsWest Playhouse in The Junction. Ticket info here. (4711 California SW)
MUSIC WITH A HEART: At Alki UCC, to benefit West Seattle Helpline. 8 pm – full details in our calendar listing. (6115 SW Hinds)
MORE
(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL #99CLOSURE INFOSITE; ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5 AM: Good morning! We’re on traffic/transit watch early for Day 1 of the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, and will be updating what’s happening in/from West Seattle, including the Water Taxi dock at Seacrest. No incidents so far.
5:30 AM: Still quiet. We have a crew headed to the Water Taxi dock now; remember, extra parking, bigger shuttles (here’s the special info brochure). First run to downtown is at 6:15; here’s the schedule.
5:57 AM: The West Seattle “low bridge” is closing to surface traffic for the first time this morning. We’ll update when it reopens. We also have a direct link to the @SDOTbridges Twitter account (which tweets other bridge openings around the city) atop this story.
6:10 AM: “Low bridge” closure over, available to land-based users again. Meantime, we’ve just heard from our crew at the Water Taxi dock, as the first run from West Seattle gets ready to go. There’s a line but not the 270+-passenger capacity, so if you’re WT-bound, there should be room. Meantime, a commenter says early-morning towing shows the city is serious about those overnight parking restrictions on Harbor to save space for WT parking.
6:25 AM: As you can see in the “live” camera views above (refresh the page for newest images), the high bridge is busier than usual for this time of day. Meantime, the official passenger count for the 1st Water Taxi run out, 78 – we’re told that’s more than triple the usual ridership for the 6:15 run.
6:48 AM: Todd Orwig reports that the high bridge is definitely “slower than usual.” The cameras are showing that too. We’ve added the I-5/Spokane webcam above, because WSDOT has it pointed west toward the bridge, so you can see the volume headed for 5. … Water Taxi update – 124 for the 6:45 am run. Just under half full. (Here’s our Instagram video of the line.) Street parking near Seacrest looks maxed; we’re checking on the temp lot across from the 7-11 at Florida. (Update: LOTS of room in that lot. Single-digit usage so far; has 200 spaces.)
7:02 AM: High bridge is wall-to-wall. No incidents in the corridor or on the peninsula, so this is 100 percent just people trying to get where they need to go.
7:19 AM: Low bridge is looking busy too (remember, we have a view of that above, too). And keep in mind some alternatives are new since the infamous 2011 “Viadoom” closure. For example, the South Park Bridge – see the live eastbound view here.
7:26 AM: 180 passengers on the 7:15 Water Taxi run – still room for almost 100 more. Both the high and low bridges are very busy – remember that the high bridge is two lanes outbound since the 99-bound lane is coned off (see the top-right camera). Only incident in the area is a truck stall on *southbound* 1st at Atlantic near the stadiums; police are working to get the truck off 1st and onto Atlantic. Also a note – we are tweeting some photos and observations in addition to this narrative – even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can see our tweets here (also on the right sidebar of WSB in desktop/laptop/tablet-landscape views).
7:42 AM: Scanner has word of a crash at Delridge and Dakota – no other details. Meantime, though there’s no traffic cam showing the Admiral approach to the bridge, the southbound hill is gridlock, WSB’s Christopher Boffoli tells us.
7:52 AM: Deb reports in comments that 4th Avenue S. is backed up bigtime (she’s on the 37 outbound from WS). Meantime, the 7:45 am Water Taxi had 180 passengers – which, again, means there’s room for almost 100 more.
8:01 AM: Via Twitter, @voght reports the Delridge/Dakota crash is on the southbound side, and traffic is getting by both ways, on the shoulder on the southbound side. Weather report from co-publisher Patrick Sand at Seacrest – “It’s starting to rain.” And from Mike Jensen via Twitter (@mjtwit): “Took 40 minutes from West Seattle to I-90 via First Avenue.”
8:23 AM: Looks like the Water Taxi peaked last hour – 135, half capacity, on the 8:15 run from Seacrest to downtown (added: photo of line @ pier). The temp lot at Pier 2 also has lots of room for more usage – we asked and as of 8 am, it had only about 20 vehicles, one-tenth capacity. Meantime, the roads and bridges are still status-quo, now rain-enhanced. (Monday is supposed to be sunny and warm.) See comments as well as Twitter for bus riders’ firsthand reports – some rave reviews for the temp stop at 4th/Lander if you want to connect to light rail. Update from Christopher, who as mentioned above was outbound from Admiral – the low bridge was moving fairly well, if you’re looking for an alternative. (We’ve only had one bridge opening for vessel traffic this morning, the one way back at 6 am, mentioned above. Don’t know if that’s because of the tides or the city’s request for voluntary “compliance” in rush hours, as reported yesterday.)
8:38 AM: Another Delridge crash, per scanner – actually two at Delridge/Thistle. First was reported to not be affecting traffic, not sure about the second, so avoid if you can.
8:50 AM: 119 passengers for the Water Taxi run that just left. Among them, Junction-residing City Councilmember Lorena González [tweeted photo here]. Also, WT riders were given a survey to fill out – Kathleen tweeted a photo. Rain’s intensifying. Also, we have a suggestion from local community advocate and transit user Amanda Kay Helmick via Twitter: Try the Route 113 bus from 20th/Roxbury or Olsen/Myers park-and-rides.
9:02 AM: We’ve left the Water Taxi dock but are continuing to watch the commute. We’ll also have an afternoon narrative going later today, something that, unlike morning traffic coverage, we DON’T usually do, but this calls for it. And of course we’ll cover major incidents between am and pm commutes. Once we start adding more news for the day, this will still be linked from the ticker atop our site, and from our “spotlight” boxes atop the home page. Meantime, another WS crash – 48th/Spokane.
9:32 AM: Bridge is still busy but for example, no longer backed up all the way to 35th/Fauntleroy, on that end. So if you’re leaving later than usual, things are getting better. However, when you’re looking for where to exit – “4th Avenue is the real problem now,” we are hearing via the scanner. “Very problematic at this time.”
9:45 AM: Crash on the northbound 1st Avenue S. Bridge – see an image in SDOT’s tweet.
10:26 AM: First bridge crash today – eastbound West Seattle (high) Bridge at Delridge. Medic unit being called, per scanner, for person who thinks they might be having a heart attack, post-crash.
10:35 AM: The 35th/Fauntleroy entrance to the eastbound bridge is being temporarily closed because of the crash.
11:15 AM: Traffic is now getting by in one lane at the crash scene. We believe that means the onramp is open again but are going over to check in person to be sure.
11:27 AM: Before we could get there, SDOT tweeted that the crash scene is clear, so everything’s open again.
Five West Seattle (and vicinity) biznotes tonight:
ADMIRAL JUNCTION MAIL CENTER MOVES: The Lyman Building on the southwest corner of California and Lander now has two vacancies. West Side Gymnastics Academy moved out last year; this week, the Admiral Junction Mailing Center moved. Its new location is 3614 California SW, former home of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, which recently moved to 5639 California SW.
MY THREE LITTLE BIRDS TURNS TWO: Big party this Saturday as My Three Little Birds (6959 California SW; WSB sponsor) celebrates its second anniversary. The festivities are all day, 10 am-5 pm, with face-painting and Full Tilt Ice Cream expected between 11 am and 2 pm.
SOUTHGATE ROLLER RINK TURNS 5: Tomorrow night, our area’s only roller rink, Southgate (9646 17th SW), celebrates its fifth anniversary. Live bands will play out on the floor; renovations will be celebrated – a new mural, lighting, and “a refurbished wood floor in the bar that has a rich history with artistic roller skating.” It’s a 21+ party starting at 8 pm, with $5 cover – more info here.
JUNCTION DAY OF GIVING: In case you haven’t already heard – Saturday is a special day to shop and dine in The Junction. As announced earlier in April, participating businesses will be donating 10 percent of Saturday’s sales to nonprofits of their choice. More than 25 are on the list now – go here to see which businesses and who they’ll be supporting.
SOUNDERS SHUTTLE: The Westy (7908 35th SW) says it’s launching a shuttle service to Sounders home games on Saturday – tickets $20, including a pregame beer “and 10% off your bar tab the entire day.” While The Westy is 21+, the shuttle is open to all ages; they’re also offering a shuttle to Emerald Downs on May 7th for the Kentucky Derby. Contact The Westy to find our more.
Back on Tuesday, thanks to a texted tip, we were able to report on the start of a Seattle Fire Department training operation that’s caught a lot of attention, practice fires at a house at 50th and Hudson. The operation has one more day to go. Today, SFD officially invited media for a closer look. We recorded some video:
We also have found out a little more about the trainees, officially Recruit Class 104:
Two are female, 19 are male. We asked about ages and hometowns; that information wasn’t available, said SFD spokesperson Corey Orvold, but they could tell us that all but one are from this state – the 21st is from Oregon. 12 of them are listed as having “previous fire experience.” One used to work with the TSA at Sea-Tac; one was a plumber; one, the information provided to us mentions, majored in cello performance.
P.S. In discussion following our earlier story, someone asked about the future plans for this corner once this house is demolished after the training sessions. An early-stage site plan in city files shows a “proposed house” set back a little further north on the site.
Earlier this week, we mentioned today’s departure of the Clipper 70s racing yachts, just in case they were going to be visible from West Seattle shores. @KANtext saw the story and tweeted this today:
Thanks to the @westseattleblog , I know that these are Clipper 70 racing yachts! #ElliottBay #Seattle pic.twitter.com/E469ccOOmN
— KANtext (@KANtext) April 28, 2016
And James Tilley caught a surface view from the Water Taxi:
The race’s next leg is Panama-bound.
3:59 PM: Big response for a fire call at the commercial building at 5214 Delridge Way SW. More to come; we’re en route.
(Added: WSB photo)
4:12 PM: Sorry for the site slowness these past few minutes. Meantime, our crew has arrived. Firefighters found light smoke in the building and a “small heat signature on the roof” but were trying to track down the source. This building is home to the Daily Dose coffee shop and at least one other small business. No word of injuries. The response is scaling back but for now, Delridge is blocked between Brandon and Hudson.
4:16 PM: What happened seemed to be in the yoga/massage side of the building, something involving scented oils that could be smelled from outside the building. It’s out. Police are letting Metro through on Delridge but otherwise, it might be another 15 minutes or so before it’s clear enough that they can get other vehicles back onto the road.
5:21 PM: Just came back to check. SFD is gone; Delridge is fully open.
From last night’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting:
HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY UPDATE: Two years after the school community reached out to its nearest community council, in hopes of enlisting help with its struggle as one of the most-challenged schools in the district, it was time for an update. HPE’s principal, PTA representatives, and School Board director Leslie Harris were among those who spoke. We recorded it on video:
In all, principal Chris Cronas said many good things have happened but many challenges remain. He has been working on social/emotional learning. Also, the school adds a 6-hour preschool next year, and his staff is working with churches and other area groups to identify the preschoolers who will attend.
MYERS PARCELS: Open-space advocates from around the city are coalescing to try to stop the city from selling this land in southeast West Seattle. Mary Fleck from Seattle Green Spaces Coalition spoke to HPAC:
The land is left over from a city land purchase that was originally related to the Joint Training Facility next door. As reported here previously, the mayor earmarked $5 million from the expected future sale to help fund programs to address homelessness. The land is commercially zoned, but advocates believe it’s important as part of the Duwamish River watershed, and could have other future uses. Right now the push is to slow down the process so that there can be more outreach to people in the community who might not be aware of the potential sale plan.
HPIC BUILDING UPDATE: One week after the “eyebrow” collapse, and days after the work party to clean up after it, HPIC reps told HPAC that the remaining overhang has been braced, and now they’re making plans about how to raise money for further repairs. HPIC’s already-planned Uncorked annual wine-tasting fundraiser is coming up on May 21st (WSB is a co-sponsor), and that will pre-empt HPIC’s movie night this month. One more note: They’re considering a fenced area outside so that Corner Bar events in good-weather months can include outdoor imbibing.
HIGHLAND PARK CLEANUP DAY: Get involved in a community cleanup this Saturday! Details on this page of the HPAC website.
Highland Park Action Committee meets fourth Wednesdays, 7 pm at HP Improvement Club. Get updates between meetings at hpacinfo.wordpress.com
HIIT Lab is a brand-new fitness studio in Morgan Junction, and a brand-new member of the WSB sponsor team, which means they have the opportunity to let you know what they’re about:
In the photo above is HIIT Lab proprietor Cathy Kerns, who says her studio is just the right size for lots of one-on-one attention for clients, and also the right size to ensure they have lots of personal space. HIIT Lab will match a workout to you. Cathy describes it as “a high-end boutique studio that doesn’t take themselves too seriously. If you live in West Seattle and want to work out hard and have a blast in a nice, clean environment, you don’t have to go far.”
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What do HIIT Lab clients tell Cathy most often? On first sight, she says, they hear, “Wow, this is really nice.” Then, after class, they hear, “That was a fun workout.”
HIIT Lab is at 6417 Fauntleroy Way SW, Suite D, and online at hiitlab.com.
We thank HIIT Lab for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
(Water Taxi’s West Seattle vessel Doc Maynard at downtown dock, expecting lots of riders during the closure)
11:49 AM: Just wrapped up on the King County Water Taxi dock downtown: One last media megabriefing before the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s two-weeks-or-so closure, now a little over 10 hours away (onramp closures start at 10 pm, so don’t count on using The Viaduct after that). Those on hand for brief statements followed by Q&A included Dave Sowers from WSDOT, Jon Layzer from SDOT, Paul Brodeur from the King County Marine Division (Water Taxi), Victor Obeso from Metro, Bruce Gray from Sound Transit, and Peter McGraw from the Port of Seattle.
We have it all on video and will upload as soon as we’re back at HQ (1:45 pm update – here it is):
Nothing dramatic but a few points of interest we hadn’t heard much about before:
*SDOT mentioned that the “maritime community” has indeed been asked to try to minimize bridge openings during the closure, but as Layzer acknowledged on our followup question, all they can do is ask – maritime use has priority, particularly for the West Seattle “low bridge” (formally the S. Spokane St. Swing Bridge) – UPDATE: Here’s what SDOT is asking the Coast Guard about, for bridges including ours:
The Seattle Department of Transportation would like to request that the US Coast Guard send out a notice to mariners requesting voluntary compliance at each of the following bridges for the period of 12:01 am on April 29, 2016 to 11:59 pm on May 12, 2016:
Ballard Bridge: Weekday voluntary compliance one hour before and one hour after the existing restrictions (i.e. In addition to the existing restrictions, 7-9 am and 4-6 pm weekdays, we are asking for mariners to try and limit the number of bridge openings between 6-7 am, 9-10 am, 3-4 pm & 6-7 pm, whenever possible).
Fremont Bridge: Weekday voluntary compliance one hour before and one hour after the existing restrictions (i.e. In addition to the existing restrictions, 7-9 am and 4-6pm weekdays, we are asking for mariners to try and limit the number of bridge openings between 6-7 am, 9-10 am, 3-4 pm & 6-7 pm, whenever possible).
University Bridge: Weekday voluntary compliance one hour before and one hour after the existing restrictions (i.e. In addition to the existing restrictions, 7-9 am and 4-6pm weekdays, we are asking for mariners to try and limit the number of bridge openings between 6-7 am, 9-10 am, 3-4 pm & 6-7 pm, whenever possible).
Lower Spokane Street Swing Bridge: Weekday voluntary compliance between 6-10 am and 3-7 pm (there are no existing restrictions on this bridge).
*A temporary stop is being added so that WS bus riders can connect to light rail in SODO – it’s marked on the reroute maps (second page of this PDF shows the West Seattle routes)
*If you want to connect to light rail, the Water Taxi is also an option, it was pointed out to us in conversation with the Marine Division reps after the briefing, since you can walk a few blocks east and get to the transit tunnel (King Street Station, also served by Sounder rail, isn’t far either)
*We asked what happens when they get word that the tunneling machine has made it the full 385-foot distance beneath The Viaduct, to the other side. Sowers says WSDOT would then do one more inspection of The Viaduct, along the lines of what they do twice a year, to check it thoroughly for cracks, settling, etc., before deeming it safe to reopen for traffic.
More to come when we’re back at HQ.
1:45 PM UPDATE: We’ve added the briefing video above. Also, since the briefing, WSDOT has added an online update with yet another reminder plus some news that wasn’t part of the briefing. See the full update here; below, the sections that followed the general reminder:
Seattle Tunnel Partners tunneling operations
Seattle Tunnel Partners is making final preparations for their tunnel drive beneath the viaduct. They have told us that the overnight crew will spend the early hours of Friday restarting and testing Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine. Tunneling is expected to begin sometime during the day shift on Friday.
STP expects to start slowly as Bertha digs out of her planned maintenance stop, which is essentially a block of concrete buried in the ground near Yesler Way. The machine must dig through approximately 10 feet of concrete to exit the maintenance stop and enter the soil near the intersection of Yesler and Alaskan Way. Initially, trucks will carry away the excavated material. Crews intend to proceed deliberately throughout the weekend, carefully monitoring the machine’s performance and the surrounding ground as Bertha inches forward.
STP expects to pick up speed early next week. The tunneling operation – tunneling forward, building rings and doing maintenance on the machine – will continue around the clock throughout the closure.
You can track Bertha’s tunneling progress here. We’ll be updating the progress graphic twice each day.
Barging operations to resume
The suspension for cause that has restricted barging operations since January was lifted this week. That means that STP will be allowed to remove excavated soil from the work site via barge using new procedures they developed over the past two months. Having the barging operation back online allows STP to remove excavated material more quickly than trucking the material offsite.
Check out our construction cameras page to get a closer look at the barging operation when tunneling begins on Friday.
Again, we’ll have an update when the closure begins late tonight, as well as expanded coverage of morning and afternoon/evening traffic/transit starting Friday.
(Photos courtesy A la Mode Pies)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The West Seattle Junction’s pieshoplessness will soon be over: A la Mode Pies 
is expanding this way.
Proprietor Chris Porter just signed the lease for a prime spot in Junction 47, facing SW Alaska just east of California.
A la Mode will be the first pie shop in The Junction since Shoofly closed almost two years ago.
It will be the second café/bakery for A la Mode Pies, joining the Phinney location.
We talked with Porter by phone to get the scoop on what the café will be like.
(Bald eagles don’t just perch in trees. Photo from Beach Drive, by Claudio Gonda)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and our inbox:
LUNCH AND LEARN: 11:45 am at the Senior Center of West Seattle, lively discussion about the state of Social Security, now and looking ahead a half-century. You can buy lunch in the café. Reservations required – call ASAP; the number’s in our calendar listing. (California SW/SW Oregon)
DINING OUT FOR LIFE: Four West Seattle and White Center restaurants are participating for all or part of today/tonight, in the annual dine-out fundraiser to benefit Lifelong. Details are in the preview we published earlier this week.
TINKERLAB: Drop-in STEM-based crafts for all ages, 4-6 pm drop-in event, free, at High Point Library. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
SEXY SYRAH AND TANTALIZING TASTES: Annual wine tasting and appetizer benefit at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), with VIP entry at 5 pm, general at 6 pm, with part of the proceeds benefiting Children’s Hospital. Ticket link is here – check ASAP to see if there’s still room! (1936 Harbor SW)
INCOMING CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN IN THE FAMILY? This event at CSIHS tonight is for you:
If you are the parent/guardian of a current 8th grader or you know one, please spread the word about the upcoming Future Seahawks Open House (tonight). We are offering dinner at 6:00 followed by the open house starting at 6:30. We will provide incoming students with information about CSIHS and about the registration process.
(2600 SW Thistle)
ST3 AT WSTC: Questions, answers, and comments about Sound Transit 3‘s proposals for our area, 6:30 pm tonight at the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s monthly meeting, with reps expected from Sound Transit and the city Department of Planning and Community Development. At Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, all welcome. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
PUNDAMONIUM! 7 pm signups, 8 pm puns, in the monthly “pun slam” at The Skylark in North Delridge. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
‘DEATH OF A SALESMAN’: 7:30 pm at ArtsWest Playhouse in The Junction. (4711 California SW)
VIADUCT CLOSURE: It starts with onramp closures at 10 pm, and WSDOT says Highway 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and Battery Street Tunnel will be fully closed by midnight. We’ll have late-night coverage here on WSB as it begins, as well as expanded traffic/transportation coverage for the Friday commutes.
(Photo courtesy Duwamish Rowing Club)
Our area’s only rowing club, based in nearby South Park, has an invitation for you this Saturday (April 30th):
Duwamish Rowing Club continues to grow. Last season we added 3 “new” racing shells. They are new to us but not totally brand new, although they are all very fine raceable boats. The funding for the new boats came through the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund grant. None of the new boats came with names and so it’s time to name them and have a dedication party.
We will be honoring several of our donors and supporters including Bob and Dagmar Cronn, and Pacific Medical Centers. The dedication ceremony will be held at the 12th and Elmgrove Park across from the DRC boathouse at 4 pm on Saturday, April 30th. Refreshment to follow.
We hope that you all can make it and help celebrate the new rowing season and DRC’s success, as well as help us thank some of the folks who have supported us. For additional information about the DRC, check our website, find us on Facebook or Instagram, or email us at duwamishrowingclub@gmail.com.
P.S. While the photo above features some of the DRC youth rowers, the club is for all ages.
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:56 AM: Good morning and welcome to the last pre-Viaduct-closure morning commute. As we noted again last night, WSDOT says onramps will be closed starting at 10 pm tonight (which is when Metro reroutes take effect), and the full closure will be in effect by midnight. One more media megabriefing/Q&A opportunity is coming up later this morning so if you have any unanswered questions, let us know so we can seek answers.
As for this morning’s commute – no incidents in/from West Seattle so far.
11:02 PM: Thanks for the texted tips about gunfire heard in eastern West Seattle. This time there was a scanner report too, reportedly a bullet through a window in the 4700 block of 21st SW. No report of injuries. We’re headed out to find out more.
11:24 PM UPDATE: We found officers searching right where 21st and 22nd SW meet [map]. They confirm one gunshot hit a house there; they haven’t yet found casings from the other shots multiple 911 callers reported hearing.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Finally obtained the report narrative from police. Here’s the full transcription of what an officer wrote and filed:
I responded to shots fired (in the 4700 block of) 21 Av Sw. The call read as follows, “CALLER JUST HEARD 7 SHOTS, SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE MOVING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, NO VEH(ICLE) HEARD, THOUGH.”
I made contact with (victim), advised (victim) he was being audio recorded. (He) stated he was sitting in his office, which was on the south side of the house on the second story. (He) stated while he was on the
computer he heard several gunshots outside of his residence. (He) stated one bullet hit his window, and missed his head by a couple of inches.(He) led me inside his residence, where I saw a bullet hole in the plastic framing on the wíndow. (He) stated he was sitting in the chair right next to where the bullet went throuqh. I observed a bullet hole in the closet, through the closet wall, and in the room behind the office, the bullet was located. The bullet was located in a small bedroom, behind the door. The bullet was taken into evidence.
Officers photographed the scene and the photos were uploaded … Three bullet casings were located outside of (the) residence, in the roadway, and near trees. There was a bullet hole in a nearby tree as well. The bullet casings were 9mm. (The victim) stated he did not see a vehicle, and did not see the gunman. We were unable to get any description or direction of travel.
SPD Gang Unit responded to the scene. SGT. Unger responded to the scene. The bulÌets were packaged and submitted into evidence.
With just one day left until the two-weeks-or-so Alaskan Way Viaduct closure starts, a precautionary closure while the tunneling machine goes under the structure, a few points to mention/reiterate tonight:
*WSDOT says the onramps will “start closing” at 10 pm Thursday night. Having driven on The Viaduct to and from a meeting north of downtown in the past few hours, we can confirm that the signage we saw at ramps tonight all carried that message, as does the official infopage at 99closure.org.
*10 pm Thursday night is also when Metro says its rerouting will begin. (See the maps here.)
*The closure is expected to be in full effect by midnight Thursday night. (Some messaging says 11:59 pm Thursday, some says 12:01 am Friday, but basically, it’s midnight tomorrow night.)
*Surface streets/sidewalks/paths under The Viaduct are expected to remain open.
*WSDOT says it’s expecting to update its “tunneling progress” webpage around 11 am and 8 pm weekdays, 2:30 pm weekends, during the closure. Its contractor plans to tunnel 24/7 while going under The Viaduct. But, as photojournalists were told during Monday’s tunnel photo-op, it’ll be slow going at the start.
*If you still have a question, it might be answered on WSDOT’s FAQ page. If not, please comment, and we’ll chase down an answer (reps of every agency involved, and then some, are having another megabriefing tomorrow morning).
Spectacular sunset, including a “sun pillar” – thanks for everyone who’s sending photos! Above, the first one we received, by Terry Blumer, from Cormorant Cove south of Alki Point.
Next, a more-intense version of the same color show, by Marc Milrod:
Don Brubeck shows a closer view of the “sun pillar” in the sunset:
We have a few more to add soon!
Our two most recent reader reports about West Seattle coyote sightings both included photos:
First, Aimee sent that photo tonight, saying:
Just wanted to give North Admiral neighbors a heads up of a coyote I saw this afternoon. The coyote crossed California heading east on Hill Street. Sorry the picture is not the best, he was fast.
We also had this in queue from Lori‘s Fauntlee Hills sighting last week:
She saw the coyote running through her backyard at 9:15 in the morning and thought it had been hanging around that area for some days.
Wondering what to do if you see one? Best thing to do is to scare it away – coexistence depends on us and them keeping apart – as explained on this state Department of Fish and Wildlife infopage.
One more reminder that if you’ve been waiting to sign up for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2016, time’s running out – 11:59 pm tonight is when we close registration. If you haven’t signed up your sale yet – do it here! And whether you’ll be selling or shopping, get ready for the 12th annual WSCGSD, 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 14th.
P.S. Any questions, or problems with registration? E-mail garagesale@westseattleblog.com – thanks.
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