White Center Now: The blog about White Center

8:59 PM: We’ve been reporting about some modifications planned to the roundabout at 8th SW/SW 108th, and today, King County Roads tweets: “Full road closure on 8th Ave. SW north of the roundabout at SW 108th St. in White Center today, 11 am – 2 pm for pavement work. Flaggers will be present on site. Expect delays.”

ADDED 1:30 PM: We asked for details on the work they’re doing (which continues all week). County spokesperson Brent Champaco replied, “The contractor will be raising the pavement surrounding the roundabout to smooth the “lip” of the roundabout’s apron. This will help to create a more gradual transition for transit vehicles. This work is scheduled to be complete by Friday and is weather dependent.”

When 4th Avenue SW south of Roxbury reopened last week after a month of work, the county warned it wasn’t entirely done. And indeed, this Friday will bring a one-day closure – here’s the notice:

The postponed 4th Avenue SW closure south of Roxbury, for work related to the King County Housing Authority, now has a new start date. From KCHA:

We have resolved the complex utility conflicts that delayed our road closure and are ready to proceed with the full road closure. We have received final road closure permission from King County Road Services Division, King County Department of Local Services. 4th Avenue SW will be totally closed from SW 100th Street to SW Roxbury Street starting Monday, April 29th. This closure will continue from April 29th to Monday June 3rd with the following work hours:

• Monday – Friday 7 AM to 5 PM

• Saturday – 9AM to 5PM

There will be additional brief road/lane closures following the initial closure to complete additional work.

We have coordinated with local residents, emergency services, schools, and area service providers.

Just last week, we brought you word of the plan to close 4th SW south of Roxbury for a month of work, starting today. But now …it’s been delayed:

We’re following up for details of the “utility conflict.”

(Also posted on partner site West Seattle Blog)

Thanks to the texter who alerted us to signage along 4th SW south of Roxbury [map] about an impending road closure. There we found the signs you see above and below.

The county has confirmed the closure of a quarter-mile of 4th SW south of Roxbury is scheduled to start next Monday (April 1st) and provided this flyer (PDF) with details:

That photo is from the King County Sheriff’s Office, which reports via Twitter: “Deputies on scene of a collision involving two vehicles and a semi truck at S. 96 Ave./ 8 Ave. S in Boulevard Park area, Unincorporated King County. 2 patients being transported by medics to HMC in critical condition. The road will be closed during the investigation.”

An alert from King County Roads – work starts next Monday (October 22nd) on the “mini-roundabout” planned for 8th SW/SW 108th. They expect to be done by Friday, November 16th. From the project webpage:

Project description
Design and construct a mini-roundabout at 8th Avenue SW and SW 108th Street, including a rectangular rapid flashing beacon at the west crosswalk, improvements to the sidewalks, ramps to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other safety improvements.

Why is King County doing this project?
This project will improve the safety of pedestrians and other users in the White Center community. The intersection was identified as a High Collision Location in King County’s report in 2016. The project aligns with the County Executive’s priorities of Equity and Social Justice, and Regional Mobility. The intersection is part of a designated “safe route to school” for four Highline schools, and connects to proposed project 1129600 RSD Highline School District Improvements. On-site observations by Road Services Division staff indicate that some drivers fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians — many of which are students. In addition, pedestrian ramps on all quadrants of the intersection are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Road alert from King County – drainage work will close 26th SW/SW 112th starting Monday morning and continuing until Friday afternoon. We will keep an eye on it in case it reopens early, of course.

(Also published on partner site West Seattle Blog)

If you use SW 106th/107th between White Center, North Shorewood, and West Seattle, you might have seen the signboard for road work coming up next week. We did, so we asked King County Roads for details; here’s what we just received from spokesperson Brent Champaco:

We are taking the road from two lanes to a three-lane configuration that will feature:

· Left –turn lanes at 26th Avenue SW
· Two-way, left-turn lanes around 25th Avenue SW
· Striped median in the S-curves between 22nd and 25th Avenues SW
· Two-way, left-turn lane between 17th and 22nd Avenues SW

The restriping work is scheduled to last 3-5 days, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. All lanes of traffic will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. At other times, at least one lane will remain open with flaggers directing traffic. No parking will be allowed along this part of the road during the project.

If you live/work near that stretch, you’ve probably already seen this flyer (or a similar door-hanger card) as part of the county’s outreach work.

King County Roads has issued an alert for four blocks of SW 107th next Saturday night, in the White Center/North Shorewood area – it’ll be closed between 22nd and 26th SW because “epoxy and anti-skid material (High Friction Surface Treatment) will be applied to increase traction for vehicles. Data shows that this treatment helps dramatically decrease the numbers of crashes.” It’s one of 23 areas around the county where this is being done this summer. It means the road will be fully closed for several hours at a time between 6 pm and 6 am Saturday, August 12th, and: “During this time, there will be no access to driveways and side streets within the project limits.” More here.

If you use Highway 509 – you’ll want to know about this. From WSDOT:

Construction season is in full swing and in Burien, a project to repave northbound State Route 509 will soon join the mix.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will repave more than 3.5 miles of the highway between South 168th and South 112th streets to create a smoother driving surface. They will also repair and replace portions of guardrail. The $4.6 million project begins Sunday, June 4.

“Driving this section of SR 509 is no picnic. The pavement is worn and rough,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Aleta Borschowa. “Some of the guardrail is also in need of repair, so we will actually replace it with concrete barrier, which is easier to push back into place following a collision.”

Also known as the Burien Freeway, this section of northbound SR 509 is cracked and rutted from years of vehicle traffic. Approximately 28,000 vehicles use this section of roadway each day, which was last repaved in the mid-1990s.

Plan for travel delays during construction

· Drivers should expect single lane, ramp and shoulder closures on northbound SR 509 during daytime and nighttime hours for paving work.

· Crews will need to close the left lane of northbound and southbound SR 509 for a total of three weekends and occasional weeknights to repair and replace the guardrail in the median.

Know before you go

· For more information on scheduled lane reductions and detours, visit the King County construction page.

WSDOT contractor, Tucci & Sons, Inc., expects work on the $4.6 million project to wrap up in fall 2017.

Even if you don’t use Highland Park Way hill in West Seattle, this morning’s slide might be affecting you – either through higher traffic volumes on roads including Roxbury, or possibly with a power outage, as we’ve heard the power is or was out at least as far south as the 9th/Roxbury intersection. We have ongoing coverage on our partner site West Seattle Blog; the closure is expected to last at least through the morning commute, as downed lines are involved and that has to be rendered safe before any cleanup can begin.

(White Center Now/West Seattle Blog photo by Patrick Sand)

11:59 AM: Thanks for the tips – 26th SW between White Center/Shorewood and West Seattle is blocked right now by a crash response at the intersection where SW 106th becomes 107th because of the crash in our photo above. Our crew is told 2 vehicles were involved and one person was taken to Harborview. King County’s major crash investigations team is on the way out so this might be closed for a while. Our crew says east-west traffic is being allowed through one lane at a time, but we would advise avoiding the area entirely. We will check back at the scene later; if you see it open again before we update, please let us know, text or voice, 206-293-6302 – thank you!

12:11 PM: Metro has sent a re-route alert because of this – “not serving stop at 26th/106th, use stop at Seola Beach Dr. SW & SW 106th or 26th/SW 100th.”

2:21 PM: The intersection remains fully blocked.

3:53 PM: Metro has just texted/tweeted that the bus stop on 26th SW is open again, which we’ll take as word that the intersection has reopened to all traffic.

Traffic/transit/travel alert!

North of here, Highway 99 is closed from the West Seattle Bridge to the Battery Street Tunnel until 6 pm today and then again 6 am-6 pm tomorrow for its twice-yearly inspection, and from the BSTunnel north to lower Queen Anne, it’s closed all weekend, until very early Monday. So plan your travel accordingly! Find details on the closures here. If you use Metro, here’s the reroute info for the routes from WC/West Seattle that use Highway 99.

We received an alert this evening including word that the 97-year-old house in that King County Assessor’s Office photo is about to be no more:

On March 19, 2015, the South King County Fire Training Consortium will be conducting live fire training at 10635 4 Ave. SW [map] between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm.

Live fire training is the carefully controlled burning of a specially prepared house that exposes firefighters to the conditions that they would find at an actual house fire. Firefighters practice extinguishing the fire, searching for victims, and clearing smoke out of the building.

Prior to the house being burned, all the oil-based materials including carpets, tar paper, and asphalt shingles are removed to reduce health risks and pollution.

Unfortunately, some smoke will be produced as the training is conducted. We recommend that people living in the area close their windows as a precaution. Those with respiratory sensitivity may want to consider being away from home during the training times.

There will be a temporary closure of 4 Ave. SW in both directions between SW 106 Street and SW 108 Street from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm. This closure will allow fire apparatus and personnel to move around the property safely. Detour signs will be posted and traffic rerouted. Homeowners on the closed section of street will be able to get in and out of their residences.

The South King County Fire Training Consortium is made up of eight fire departments and was created to allow firefighters from different departments to train together, using a common standard, and in a cost effective manner. The SCKFTC serves over 650 firefighters.

Metro also has sent an advisory that Route 131 will be rerouted for a while because of this.

Maybe you’ve seen the sign warning about lane closures at 15th/Roxbury next week; we heard about it through a reader tip. That led us to chase down details, and the King County Department of Transportation tells us it’s part of a more-extensive project:

King County has issued a permit for fiber optic installation on 15th Avenue Southwest between Roxbury Street and 107th Avenue Southwest, moving east on 107th Avenue Southwest and then south along 12th Avenue Southwest to Southwest 114th Street in the White Center area. Most of this work will involve attaching fiber to existing utility poles, so traffic disruptions should be minimal with possible intermittent lane closures.

There is more extensive work being planned at the intersection of 15th Avenue Southwest and Roxbury that will involve 200 feet of underground installation taking up to five days, half in the city, half in King County. That more intensive work will require the closure of one southbound through lane on 15th Avenue Southwest north of Roxbury and a northbound left turn lane on 15th Avenue Southwest at Roxbury. Work is planned 9 am to 3 pm weekdays March 2 through March 6. Traffic control will be in place around the work zone.

Important reminder – if you use Highway 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and lower Queen Anne, a two-phase closure starting this Friday night WILL affect you. Here are the newest details/reminders from WSDOT:

A portion of State Route 99 closes for four full days starting this Friday. If drivers have not already made plans for this closure, now is the time to do so.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will close both directions of SR 99 between South Spokane Street and Valley Street from 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25. Crews will reopen SR 99 south of the Battery Street Tunnel just before the Monday morning commute; however, the highway will remain closed through the tunnel to Valley Street until 5 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27.

“We need Seattle commuters to plan ahead for this closure,” said Dave Sowers, deputy administrator for the WSDOT Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program. “The section of 99 we’re closing Monday and Tuesday is shorter in length than what we’re closing that weekend, but it has the potential to create longer backups and delays both on city streets and I-5.”

Seahawks traffic considerations
· Northbound SR 99 will be open from South Royal Brougham Way and southbound SR 99 will be open from Columbia Street until midnight Friday, Aug. 22, for traffic related to the Seahawks’ preseason game.

Why a four-day closure is needed
· It will take four days for contractor crews working for WSDOT to demolish and replace the section of SR 99 over Broad Street. This new section of the highway will become part of the permanent connection between the SR 99 tunnel’s north portal and a new surface street section of Aurora Avenue North.
· Four days are also necessary for crews to reroute the water and sewer lines underneath SR 99 near Harrison Street.
· During the weekend portion of the closure, contractor crews will replace 81 damaged or cracked concrete road panels that comprise the SR 99 lanes between South Spokane and South Holgate streets. They will also repair an expansion joint at the northbound SR 99 exit to Seneca Street.

Closure details (view closure maps)
· At 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, crews will close both directions of SR 99 between South Spokane Street and Valley Street. However, due to the Seahawks game, northbound SR 99 will remain open at South Royal Brougham way and southbound SR 99 will remain open from the Columbia Street on-ramp until midnight.
· At 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25, crews will reopen both directions of SR 99 south of the Battery Street Tunnel. Both directions of SR 99 will remain closed between the south end of the tunnel and Valley Street.
· At 5 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, crews will reopen both directions of SR 99 between the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel and Valley Street.

Driver tips
· Allow plenty of extra travel time.
· Leave early or delay your trip to avoid traveling during peak commute periods in the morning and afternoon.
· Delay or reschedule discretionary trips.
· Consider telecommuting.
· Take King County Metro during off peak hours and plan for reroutes on buses that use SR 99, or share a ride in a car or vanpool.
· If you must drive, know before you go and use WSDOT’s travel tools.

1 PM: Also published on partner site West Seattle Blog: Thanks to Krista for the tip (with photo) about a tree down across eastbound Roxbury at 10th SW. As you can see in the photo she shared, King County Sheriff’s Office is on the scene. We are en route to see if cleanup is under way yet.

6:25 PM: It wasn’t cleared as of three hours ago, but when we went back to check a few minutes ago, it was off to the side, and traffic was back to normal.

A project to make SW Roxbury safer is finally becoming reality, after White Center and West Seattle community leaders, including the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council and (just over the city-limit line, Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council), joined forces to campaign for it. Seattle Department of Transportation is coming to Greenbridge tonight for the first of two meetings, and you’re invited to come speak out – help shape the project! 6:30 pm at Jim Wiley Community Center, 9800 8th SW.

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
8:20 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “heavy rescue” response to Myers Way/Olson Place, which is the busy intersection at the east end of Roxbury atop the hill from/to Highway 509. We have a crew on the way and will update when we find out more.

8:50 PM: Christopher Boffoli is there for White Center Now/West Seattle Blog and reports that three people were taken to the hospital with non-threatening injuries, “including an infant.” One car rolled over, he reports, and another appears to have been “clipped.”