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Smooth viaduct closure traffic snarled by downtown Seattle protest

May 5, 2016, 5:26 AM | Updated: 6:52 pm

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BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF


MyNorthwest.com

Day seven of the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure wasn’t harming drivers too badly — downtown surface streets congested as normal. But that congestion was only made worse by a protest that took over 5th Avenue in downtown.

Stay up-to-date on traffic conditions throughout the area by listening to KIRO Radio and check our online traffic map before you head out the door.

6:40 p.m. UPDATE:

6:30 p.m. UPDATE: I-90 floating bridge is cleared but westbound lanes are still recovering.


6:15 p.m. UPDATE:

6:05 p.m. UPDATE:

5:50 p.m. UPDATE:

6 p.m. UPDATE: 5th Avenue is now open to traffic.

5:30 p.m. UPDATE: 5th Avenue from James Street to Columbia Street is now closed to traffic due to the protests.

5:26 p.m. UPDATE: Downtown surface streets remain congested.

5:15 p.m. UPDATE: Backups on northbound I-5 from Northgate to connection with I-405.

5:10 p.m. UPDATE: Protest stalling traffic along 5th Avenue is reportedly a mix of groups including Black Lives Matter and a Mothers Day March for Justice. Avoid 5th Avenue and 4th Avenue around Cherry Street in downtown Seattle.

5 p.m. UPDATE: Eastbound I-90 now becoming congested along the floating bridge and over Mercer Island.

4:55 p.m. UPDATE: Northbound 15th Avenue is intermittently congested from Queen Anne to Holman Road.

4:45 p.m. UPDATE: Sound Transit now reporting that 5th Avenue protests are causing delays for transit moving through downtown Seattle.

4:35 p.m. UPDATE:

4:20 p.m. UPDATE: I-5 congestion through Seattle now stretched further beyond Northgate in southbound lanes, and past Boeing Field in the northbound lanes.

4:05 p.m. UPDATE: Ballard’s 15th Avenue is experiencing considerable congestion in both directions over the bridge.

4 p.m. UPDATE:

3:50 p.m. UPDATE: Downtown Seattle and SoDo surface streets are filling the traffic map with red. Streets are slowing down, especially the ones that lead to I-5.

3:45 p.m. UPDATE:

3:40 p.m. UPDATE: Westbound SR 520 floating bridge is backing up and traffic is slowing down.

3:35 p.m. UPDATE: Westbound I-90 floating bridge across Lake Washington is congested and slowing down.

3:30 p.m. UPDATE: Both directions of 45th Street and 55th Street from the University District across I-5 and into Wallingford are congested and slow moving. These lead to entrances to I-5, which is also congested in both directions at that area.

3:25 p.m. UPDATE: West Seattle Bridge blockage has cleared.

3:16 p.m. UPDATE:

3:10 p.m. UPDATE: Fremont Bridge congested in both directions, affecting Nickerson Street and 34th Street.

3:05 p.m. UPDATE:

2:55 p.m. UPDATE: Eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge is congested and slow moving.

2:49 p.m. UPDATE: I-5 northbound backed up into downtown starting at King County International Airport.

2:45 p.m. UPDATE: Southbound I-5 backed up into downtown from Northgate.

2:40 p.m. UPDATE:

2:15 p.m.UPDATE: Mid-span on the West Seattle Bridge looks pretty good, but traffic maps indicate building backups in the EB direction closer to I-5.

2:00 p.m. UPDATE: Volumes are already building on SB I-5 into downtown Seattle.

–Thursday morning–

10:10 a.m. UPDATE Sea-Tac to Seattle still more than 40 minutes.

9:35 a.m. UPDATE: Disabled vehicle cleared from westbound Stewart Street and 5th Ave.

9:15 a.m. UPDATE: Still seeing heavy delays across the map. Fewer options for drivers this morning.

9 a.m. UPDATE: King County Metro reporting service delays along NB I-5.

8:50 a.m. UPDATE: Travel times continue to drop as crashes and other incidents on the roads into Bellevue and Seattle clear.

8:35 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan says more drivers getting off I-5 onto surface streets into Seattle. That is causing delays in areas that have typically been more clear since the viaduct closed.

8:25 a.m. UPDATE: WSDOT reports I-405 is getting back to “normal” after the expansion joint problem this morning.

8:15 a.m. UPDATE: Routes into Seattle are in the red now.

8:05 a.m. UPDATE: Surface streets in Seattle are going to see even more delays as at least two crashes have been reported within the last 30 minutes.

8 a.m. UPDATE: Travel times leaped after the I-405 expansion joint problem. WSDOT crews fixed the issue, but Renton to Bellevue is now well over an hour.

7:50 a.m. UPDATE: A problem with an expansion joint on northbound I-405 is causing monstrous delays.

7:30 a.m. UPDATE: Two crashes are causing significant backups on I-405. KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan says avoid NB I-405 if possible.

7:25 a.m. UPDATE: Roads quickly filling in. Federal Way to Seattle more than an hour drive. Some minor incidents adding to backups.

7:15 a.m. UPDATE: Two incidents on I-5 and I-405 are going to make an already slow commute even worse.

7:05 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan reports delays on the roads in the 10-minute range around the region.

6:55 a.m. UPDATE: Backup on northbound I-5 starts around MLK Way and goes through I-90 interchange – the norm during the viaduct closure. Slight delays on southbound I-5 into downtown.

6:45 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan says Sea-Tac to Seattle is now about 35 minutes. Renton to Bellevue is 31 minutes, about four minutes longer than it should be.

6:35 a.m. UPDATE: Travel times already reaching nearly an hour for some drivers.

6:25 a.m. UPDATE: Reports say this could be the heaviest commute so far during the viaduct closure.

6:15 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan says not much slowing on West Seattle Bridge … yet. “We know it’s coming,” he said.

6:05 a.m. UPDATE: And just like that, there’s now heavy traffic for about four miles on northbound I-5 into downtown Seattle.

5:55 a.m. UPDATE: Volumes are quickly building on NB I-5.

5:45 a.m. UPDATE: A collision that briefly blocked the HOV lane of SR 167 at South 180th created a slight backup as more people get going this morning.

5:35 a.m. UPDATE: Seeing lots of brake lights in the south end.

5:30 a.m. UPDATE: Early start to the commute this morning. Already seeing some slowing out of Puyallup.

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