Rain and collisions add extra delays to Seattle traffic amid viaduct closure
May 4, 2016, 5:21 AM | Updated: 6:09 pm
Scattered rain showers combined with several minor crashes and the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure made for a rough Wednesday commute around Seattle.
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.
5:40 p.m. UPDATE: Northbound lanes on 23rd Avenue at East James Street will remain closed for an hour.
5:30 p.m. UPDATE:
Travel Times:
35th Ave SW @ SW Snoq to I-5: 11 min
1st Ave S @ E Martinez Dr S to Georgetown: 10 min
Denny Way @ Stewart to Ballard: 27 min— seattledot (@seattledot) May 5, 2016
5:25 p.m. UPDATE: Blockage at 23rd Avenue and East Jefferson Street.
5:10 p.m. UPDATE: Collision blocking two right lanes on northbound SR 99 at 1st Avenue Bridge.
A visual of the collision on SR 99 at the 1st Ave Bridge pic.twitter.com/erQTHhQ5cU
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 5, 2016
5 p.m. UPDATE: Five minute delays going eastbound on West Seattle Bridge.
4:50 p.m. UPDATE: Collision partially blocking on-ramp from NE 45th Avenue to southbound I-5 in Seattle.
4:40 p.m. UPDATE:
Metro’s Wednesday PM Commute: Transit service delays continue on 1 Av S between S Spokane St and S Royal Brougham… https://t.co/7RFpVS5ylu
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) May 4, 2016
4:30 p.m. UPDATE:
Hearing about a major collision on 23rd Ave S at S Main St. Expect delays.
— seattledot (@seattledot) May 4, 2016
4:25 p.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio Traffic reports that 6th Avenue is the best option out of SoDo to escape downtown Seattle’s congested surface streets.
4:20 p.m. UPDATE: Eastbound on I-90 on the floating bridge across Lake Washington is now experiencing congestion, especially on Mercer Island and at the intersection with I-405.
4:15 p.m. UPDATE: Traffic backing up northbound on 15th Avenue from Queen Anne, across the canal, and into Ballard.
4:10 p.m. UPDATE: Northbound I-5 experiencing backups from the King County Airport to Mountlake Terrace.
4:05 p.m. UPDATE: SR 520 floating bridge is starting to backup in the westbound lanes.
4 p.m. UPDATE:
#TravelTimes
Bell to Everett: 54min
Bell to Renton: 43min
Lynn to SEA: 47min
SEA to Lynn: 27min
SEA to Bell: 12min
SEA to FedWy: 33min— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
3:55 p.m. UPDATE: North 45th Street congested on both sides of I-5 from University District all the way to Fremont.
3:48 p.m. UPDATE: Denny Way eastbound to I-5 moving slow with plenty of congestion.
3:46 p.m. UPDATE:
Expect transit delays near 23 Av & E Jefferson St due to a blockage https://t.co/r2WbdYAKMm
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) May 4, 2016
3:43 p.m. UPDATE:
Disabled vehicle on NB I-5 near 175th moved to the shoulder! pic.twitter.com/X8X7Rh91Ph
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
3:40 p.m. UPDATE: Westbound I-90 backing up on the floating bridge across Lake Washington.
3:35 p.m. UPDATE:
Disabled vehicle on NB I-5 near 175th blocking center right lane pic.twitter.com/ayCYd2uzsZ
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
3:19 p.m. UPDATE: Driving southbound on I-5 from Northgate to Denny Way has about a 15 minute delay.
3:14 p.m. UPDATE:
UPDATE: Stall on WB West Seattle Bridge has cleared.
— seattledot (@seattledot) May 4, 2016
3:09 p.m. UPDATE: The Fremont Bridge is congested and causing backups on Nickerson Street and North 34th Street.
3:05 p.m. UPDATE: Downtown surface streets already showing a lot of red — streets are getting congested which is a continuation of what we have already learned about driver habits during the viaduct closure.
2:54 p.m. UPDATE:
A stall is blocking the right lane on the WB West Seattle Bridge w/o I-5. Use caution. pic.twitter.com/cfHAfyWPc4
— seattledot (@seattledot) May 4, 2016
2:50 p.m. UPDATE:
Travel Times:
35th Ave SW @ SW Snoq St to I-5: 5 min
1st Ave S @ E Martinez Dr S to Georgetown: 6 min
Denny Way @ Stewart to Ballard: 14 min— seattledot (@seattledot) May 4, 2016
2:40 p.m. UPDATE: I-5 backups bleeding into the West Seattle Bridge and the Spokane Street Viaduct heading westbound.
2:37 p.m. UPDATE: Mercer Street leading to I-5 south is backed up all the way to Lower Queen Anne.
2:35 p.m. UPDATE: Northbound I-5 slow from Georgetown into downtown Seattle.
2:30 p.m. UPDATE: Southbound I-5 backed up already into downtown from Northgate.
10:10 a.m. UPDATE: Roads in and around Seattle continue to experience heavy traffic. KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan reports SR 99 is underused, and could be a good alternate up to the closure.
9:50 a.m. UPDATE: Traffic from West Seattle is still struggling. Backups remain on the bridge.
Traffic still slow on West Seattle Bridge #99closure #ViaductClosure pic.twitter.com/wYIxuAIPMx
— MyNorthwest.com (@Mynorthwest) May 4, 2016
9:40 a.m. UPDATE: Roads into Seattle remain in the “red.”
NB I-5 still in the red into Seattle #viadoom pic.twitter.com/0CzGivqVrb
— MyNorthwest.com (@Mynorthwest) May 4, 2016
9:30 a.m. UPDATE: Some drivers still experiencing bumper-to-bumper traffic around Seattle.
Still bumper-to-bumper traffic heading into Seattle #99closure #viadoom #ViaductClosure pic.twitter.com/uPO6SH4kZU
— MyNorthwest.com (@Mynorthwest) May 4, 2016
9:20 a.m. UPDATE: Crash blocking the transit lane on NB 4th Avenue South at South Weller Street. Surface streets around Seattle still seeing congestion.
9:10 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan says now is about the time people in West Seattle should consider braving the morning commute.
9 a.m. UPDATE: Crash on northbound I-405 at SR 167 is adding to the delays.
8:50 a.m. UPDATE: Seattle DOT reporting pockets of delays on NB 4th Avenue South and eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge.
I-5 & NB 1st Ave S remain congested. Pockets of delays on NB 4th Ave S & EB W Seattle Br. https://t.co/SbgiZizMvL pic.twitter.com/RXGRBLFfcv
— seattledot (@seattledot) May 4, 2016
8:40 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan reports drivers are still dealing with “massive delays.” King County Metro warns riders to expect delays on some routes into the city.
8:25 a.m. UPDATE: Traffic is looking a bit heavier on SB I-5 into Seattle this morning.
Heavy traffic on SB I-5 into Seattle #99closure pic.twitter.com/lDOeD5lVrP
— MyNorthwest.com (@Mynorthwest) May 4, 2016
8:15 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan reports the drive from Federal Way to Seattle on I-5 is now taking up to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
8:05 a.m. UPDATE: Lynnwood to Seattle or Bellevue is about an hour now, according to KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan.
7:55 a.m. UPDATE: Crash on NB I-405 at SR 527 is blocking the toll lane. Going to make the Eastside commute a little more difficult this morning. And an “incident’ on SB I-405 at I-90 is blocking the right lane.
Wreck on northbound I-405 at SR 527 is blocking the toll lane. pic.twitter.com/Cij8rMp6Ls
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
Incident on southbound I-405 at I-90 is blocking the right lane. pic.twitter.com/IB4YO5EtLi
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
7:50 a.m. UPDATE: Seattle DOT suggests drivers use 4th Avenue South and Airport Way if they are trying to get into the city. Seeing lots of brake lights on West Seattle Bridge and 1st Avenue South.
7:40 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan reports SR 167 looks lighter today. Meanwhile, delays are growing on I-5 in both directions.
Looks like some drivers have skipped 167 NB today. Delays are better than last two mornings.
— KIRO Radio Traffic (@KIROTraffic) May 4, 2016
7:30 a.m. UPDATE: Southbound I-405 express toll lanes maxed at $10 as drivers try to make their way through morning traffic.
7:20 a.m. UPDATE: Backups on SB I-5 into downtown Seattle are growing. “We are grinding down, all the way around,” KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan says.
7:10 a.m. UPDATE: What is either a stalled vehicle or crash on northbound I-405 could make an already slow commute worse for many.
Stalled vehicle on northbound I-405 just north of SR 527 is blocking the toll lane and left general purpose lane pic.twitter.com/obboCPtxdZ
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
On I-405 northbound just north of SR 527 there is a collision blocking the left lane and the express toll lane.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
7 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan suggests West Seattle drivers delay their commute if they can, otherwise they will be caught in the mess on the West Seattle Bridge.
6:55 a.m. UPDATE: Commute times are growing as more people hit the road this morning. Everett to Seattle is almost an hour.
#TravelTimes
Everett-Seattle =53mins
HOV = 42mins
Express + HOV = 40
to Bellevue = 51mins
ETL = 36mins pic.twitter.com/KhaBLWo6V6— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
6:55 a.m. UPDATE: A crash on the side of NB 167 south of 180th is causing extra delays in the area.
6:45 a.m. UPDATE: A fire near 1st and Lenora in downtown Seattle could cause problems for morning commuters.
UPDATE: Fire Dept activity: Western Ave between Lenora St & Virginia St, all lanes closed. Expect delays & use alts pic.twitter.com/da0s1HBmoS
— seattledot (@seattledot) May 4, 2016
6:35 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan reports I-5, 167, and NB I-405 are taking the brunt of the commute without the viaduct this morning.
I5, 167 and 405 NB taking the traffic usually reserved for #99closure. Delays are growing.
— KIRO Radio Traffic (@KIROTraffic) May 4, 2016
6:30 a.m. UPDATE: KIRO 7 reports 1st and 4th avenues and the Spokane Street Bridge are backing up earlier than usual.
6:20 a.m. UPDATE: King County Metro reporting service over West Seattle Bridge is starting to slow.
6:10 a.m. UPDATE: Already almost an hour from Federal Way to Seattle. Volumes building on West Seattle Bridge.
Seeing delays on I-5 NB. Volumes building on EB W Seattle Bridge #SR99closure https://t.co/SbgiZizMvL pic.twitter.com/aVUuwEIiM8
— seattledot (@seattledot) May 4, 2016
6 a.m. UPDATE: No major blocking issues right now, but plenty of delays.
Another early start as drivers avoid #99closure. I5 and 167 NB already slow.
— KIRO Radio Traffic (@KIROTraffic) May 4, 2016
5:45 a.m. UPDATE: Already seeing brake lights on northbound I-5.
First red of the morning on NB I-5 into downtown Seattle. Filling in a little earlier today. #99closure pic.twitter.com/SZKNIanbm0
— Alexis Smith (@AlexisKIRO7) May 4, 2016
5:35 a.m. UPDATE: The state is reporting more people hitting the road earlier this morning.
Quite a few folks hitting the road a bit earlier this morning. Remember to stay plugged in and plan ahead https://t.co/OpEG7ZwG91 #99closure
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 4, 2016
5:30 a.m. UPDATE: Main routes into Seattle already beginning to see some delays. Nothing compared to yesterday when a vehicle rolled over early in the commute.
Typical delays filling in for the south Sound, so far so good for #99closure alts. pic.twitter.com/nfTYbIazlf
— Alexis Smith (@AlexisKIRO7) May 4, 2016
5:15 a.m. UPDATE: Forecasts call for a few showers throughout the day. Wet roads could add to the already difficult commute for drivers trying to navigate into or through Seattle without the viaduct.
