8 nights of West Seattle Bridge ramp closures start tonight so Seattle City Light can get the lights back on
Readers asked about signage on the West Seattle Bridge indicating upcoming ramp closures. We couldn’t find an announcement but finally tracked down info from Seattle City Light, whose spokesperson Kate Jacobs tells WSB that this is so they can get the theft-darkened lights back on:
The work you referenced is part of Seattle City Light’s broader effort to restore 80 streetlights on the West Seattle Bridge and Spokane Street Viaduct that went dark due to copper wire theft this summer.
Work of this scale on a high-traffic bridge requires lane closures to keep the public and crews safe, and each closure requires an approved traffic control plan. To minimize public impact, the work will occur in stages overnight from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. across eight days. Repairs are scheduled to finish on October 15. I included the full repair schedule below.
As we make repairs, we will also add protections to help prevent future theft. We continually update our theft-prevention measures based on the latest expert guidance, lessons from past incidents, and available technology. Examples of these measures include reinforced junction box covers, tamper-proof lids, and welded access doors.
Repair schedule:
Mon, Oct 5 – Complete closure of the NB 1st Ave S off-ramp from the West Seattle Freeway WB. On-ramp also closed from 1st Ave S approach from S Horton St.
Tue, Oct 6 – Complete closure of the Harbor Island WB ramp from the West Seattle Freeway WB. Right lane closed approaching the ramp to detour traffic. Right lane closure of the WB West Seattle Freeway from Harbor Ave SW off-ramp to the SR99 on-ramp.
Wed, Oct 7 – Complete closure of the West Seattle Freeway WB ramp from SR 99 SB. Right lane closure of the WB West Seattle Freeway (High Rise) from the SR 99 on-ramp to the Harbor Ave SW off-ramp.
Thu, Oct 8 – Complete closure of the Harbor Island WB ramp from SR 99. Right lane closure of the WB West Seattle Freeway (High Rise) from the SR 99 on-ramp to the Harbor Ave SW off-ramp.
Mon, Oct 12 – Right lane closure of the WB West Seattle Freeway (High Rise) from the SR 99 on-ramp to the Harbor Ave SW off-ramp. Right lane closure of the EB Weast Seattle Freeway (High Rise) from the Delridge Way SW on-ramp to SR 99 NB on-ramp.
Tue, Oct 13 – Right lane closure of the EB Weast Seattle Freeway (High Rise) from the Delridge Way SW on-ramp to SR 99 NB on-ramp. Complete closure of the NB SR 99 ramp from the West Seattle Freeway EB. Right two lanes closed approaching the ramp to detour traffic.
Wed, Oct 14 – Complete closure of the NB SR 99 ramp from the West Seattle Freeway EB. Right two lanes closed approaching the ramp to detour traffic. Right lane closure of the EB West Seattle Freeway lower deck from 1st Ave S ramp to the 4th Ave S ramp.
Thu, Oct. 15 – Right lane closure of the EB West Seattle Freeway lower deck from 1st Ave S ramp to the 4th Ave S ramp.
