Traffic ‘disaster’ slows rainy Friday commute across Seattle area
Aug 2, 2019, 7:01 AM | Updated: 11:23 am
Seattle-area traffic statistically ranks among some of the worst in the country, and that was on full display early Friday morning, with a rainy commute causing a full-on “Fury Road” situation to take hold.
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“We’ve had car crashes, we’ve had spin-outs, we’ve had rolled-over semis, we’ve had car chases, and we’ve had car fires. Heck of a morning,” KIRO Radio Traffic Reporter Chris Sullivan described.
Things got off to a strange start early down in the south end, when a woman led Kent PD on a wild chase along I-90 in a stolen police cruiser. She was quickly apprehended, but the incident had traffic on I-90 near Snoqualmie blocked for hours.
Around 4:45 a.m., things got really hairy when a semi rolled over on northbound I-5, just south of the West Seattle Bridge. Completely rolled onto its side — and facing the wrong direction. As of 7:15 a.m., backups extended roughly six miles. Lanes were finally reopened shortly after 9 a.m.
Even after lanes opened back up, though, delays had the drive from Federal Way to Seattle sitting around 100 minutes.
#Seattle update: Still no estimate on when NB I-5 will reopen. Backups are now 6 miles. Be patient and consider using alternate routes or taking public transit, walking or biking to work. pic.twitter.com/WZi0duxOUE
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) August 2, 2019
Book-ending the rolled-over semi on northbound I-5 were a pair of rear-end collisions before and after the incident respectively.
It didn’t take long before the next major traffic event took hold, when a U.S Post Office truck caught fire on southbound 167 at Ellingson. And while backups on southbound 167 were minor, rubber-neckers slowing down to stare at the fire across the freeway had the northbound direction of 167 backed up for almost seven miles.
#Auburn: Here's a visual of the truck that was on fire on SB SR 167 just south of 15th St SW. It's blocking the right two lanes. The HOV lane is open to all traffic. Minor backups on southbound SR 167, but major backups on northbound SR 167 (approx. 6-7 miles). Expect delays! pic.twitter.com/4XsCVjsqiP
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) August 2, 2019
In just a one-hour stretch between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., there were at least eight separate traffic incidents in the Greater Seattle Area.
“What should normally be an easy Friday morning is turning out to be a disaster,” said KIRO Radio’s Tracy Taylor.
Stay safe out there, folks.
