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[Bruce]

The University Bridge is stuck open because of a transformer failure, just in time for the Huskies home game. Looks real fun down there in the U District.

[Bruce]

A nice documentary from WSDOT about the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project, with the focus on wildlife crossings:

[Dougtone]

Checking out WA 100 and Cape Disappointment near Ilwaco, Washington, at the southwest corner of Washington State. You will certainly not be disappointed in what WA 100 and Cape Disappointment have to offer. Between a loop highway at the southwestern corner of Washington State, a historic fort, two lighthouses and more, the only disappointing thing was leaving.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/12/washington-state-route-100-and-cape.html

[Bruce]

Note to self: do not park my car under the Ship Canal Bridge.

The parks under the bridge have closed due to pieces of concrete falling from the bridge deck. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/falling-bits-of-concrete-lead-state-to-shut-parks-under-ship-canal-bridge/

[Bruce]

Spotted this a while ago on I-405, but we now have a new anti-litter slogan apparently:

[pderocco]

Spotted this a while ago on I-405, but we now have a new anti-litter slogan apparently:

I don't recall them ever charging for Washington litter.

[kkt]

Spotted this a while ago on I-405, but we now have a new anti-litter slogan apparently:

I don't recall them ever charging for Washington litter.

 

It really should have been hyphenated: "Litter-Free"

[Bruce]

This week's storm has been a doozy.

All mountain passes closed, leaving SR 14 as the only way across the state. I-5 closed for a bit between Chehalis and Grand Mound due to flooding. Mudslides reported all over western Washington.

[FrCorySticha]

This week's storm has been a doozy.

All mountain passes closed, leaving SR 14 as the only way across the state. I-5 closed for a bit between Chehalis and Grand Mound due to flooding. Mudslides reported all over western Washington.

I was visiting my parents in Ellensburg during the storms, including over a foot of snow Wednesday evening through Thursday morning. SR 14 and I-84 through the Gorge were both closed for a little while, so there was a point where any traffic from Eastern to Western Washington would have to go all the way down to Bend, OR, to cross the Cascades. When I left Ellensburg yesterday, there were trucks parked anywhere they could find room, including on the shoulder of Canyon Rd. under exit 109.

[Bruce]

Snoqualmie and Blewett passes have reopened, first for critical freight and then for general traffic. The surface isn't totally cleared, so there's a posted 45 mph speed limit at the summit. White Pass could open today and Stevens Pass in two days (the latter has some snow slides of up to 35 feet to deal with).

On Sunday, I took a little detour to see the west end of the closure:

[Alps]

why are these people not turning around and going somewhere that isn't sleeping in their cars

[Bruce]

why are these people not turning around and going somewhere that isn't sleeping in their cars

At the time, the only viable route was WA 14, a 230-mile detour.

I really don't understand it myself, as staying in Seattle or the eastern suburbs would be a better option for the non-trucks. Cheaper food and fuel, things to keep you occupied, and it's not like the reopening information won't be posted online or via the radio.

[kkt]

I used to have a coworker who lived in North Bend and commuted to North Seattle.  Once or twice a year I-90 would close before she could get home for the night.  Then one time I-90 closed in both directions leaving her stuck in Bellevue.  All hotels were full.  Fortunately she had a different co-worker's phone number who let her stay on their couch, a much better option than sleeping in the car.

[jakeroot]

I used to have a coworker who lived in North Bend and commuted to North Seattle.  Once or twice a year I-90 would close before she could get home for the night.  Then one time I-90 closed in both directions leaving her stuck in Bellevue.  All hotels were full.  Fortunately she had a different co-worker's phone number who let her stay on their couch, a much better option than sleeping in the car.

Was it common for I-90 to close west of North Bend? I always thought it closed near Tanner.

[kkt]

Once or twice a year was her experience.  Not often enough to be worth moving.  They liked skiing.

[stevashe]

I honestly can't ever remember a formal closure for snow west of North Bend in the past 15-20 years, so what she was referring to must have been due to accidents, or just being impractical to make it up the hills to North Bend in the snow storm. Plus unlike the pass, there are alternate routes to get to North Bend like SR 202, so I-90 being closed wouldn't strand her in itself, it seems more like she just didn't want to risk getting stuck (which is probably the right move given how many cars seem to end up abandoned on the side of the road when a snow storm messes up the evening commute here).

[jakeroot]

^^^
I had the same thoughts, I don't see why interstate 90 would have been closed west of North bend for weather. I get certain spots like Tiger Mountain, but I-90 in general isn't high enough at any point west of North Bend have any regular snow that would cause even twice-a-year closures.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Here's a video of the Traffic and Mobility Improvements along I-5 in the Centralia/Chehalis area.

[jakeroot]

State-named shields in that video. I think there may be a roadgeek running the graphics department!

[Bruce]

Sound Transit has approved its share of funding for the redeveloped I-405 / NE 85th Street interchange in Kirkland as part of the Stride bus rapid transit program. The existing cloverleaf will be demolished and replaced by a three-level interchange with a dogbone for regular traffic and an upper level for BRT and toll lane traffic. It is scheduled to open in 2026.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/triple-deck-287m-kirkland-interchange-gets-sound-transits-green-light/

[jakeroot]

Can anyone explain why the ramps are all bulbous? That seems like it would be really awkward to navigate.

Overall, it seems so over the top and unnecessary.

[Alps]

Can anyone explain why the ramps are all bulbous? That seems like it would be really awkward to navigate.

Overall, it seems so over the top and unnecessary.

It looks like it'd flow super-well for the HOV and BRT traffic they're trying to prioritize, and otherwise it's just a standard diamond.

[thefraze_1020]

There are two button-copy I-405 BGS's on the overpass, seen heading each way on 85th. Someone needs to convince WSDOT to save them!

[compdude787]

I love how British that interchange will be.

[Algorithm]

Hopefully it won't end up looking like the diagram; having two lanes at the far ends of the lower dogbone is just asking for collisions.  People will think "hey, I need to turn left, so I should be in the left lane" and then need to cut through three lanes of merging traffic at the last minute.