High winds down power lines, blocked SR 99 tunnel

Downed power lines in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood blocKED traffic in both directions on State Route 99 Tuesday morning as a wind advisory was put in place for the region.

Traffic was backed up just south of the tunnel as crews worked to address the power lines on the road at East Marginal Way and Diagonal Avenue South. Southbound traffic was diverted to Royal Brougham, and northbound lanes are blocked at South Lucile Street, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).

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Crews worked for hours to crew the roadway before reopening around 12:45 p.m.

HEADS UP: Powerlines down on E Marginal Way at Diagonal Ave S is affecting SB SR 99 just south of the SR 99 tunnel.

ALL SB SR 99 LANES BLOCKED JUST SOUTH OF THE TUNNEL.🚨

SEEK ALTERNATE ROUTES IF YOU CAN. 🚨 https://t.co/M3n4UKCdJG

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) January 9, 2024

Southerly winds increased with the arrival of an overnight storm, gusting up to 50 mph and leaving tens of thousands without power in the Seattle area.

About 3,400 Seattle City Light customers and 17,170 Puget Sound Energy customers were without power as of 10 a.m., according to outage maps.

Wind gusts up to 50 mph remain in the forecast through the lowlands on Tuesday, where a wind advisory is in place through 10 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

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Wind speeds will vary by location. The strongest winds will begin blowing late Tuesday morning and peak in the afternoon when gusts of 55 to 65 mph are possible through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.