Date:
Monday, November 12, 2007
Contact:
Jamie Holter, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4788 (Seattle)
SEATTLE – Winds are beginning to die down in Puget Sound after a morning of big gusts and some sustained winds. WSDOT crews will continue to be out in force into the evening commute ready to clear downed trees, clogged drains, roadway obstructions and, of course, deal with Seahawks traffic.
“Our crews have been preparing for storms just like this for the past two months,” said WSDOT Asst. Regional Administrator Dave McCormick. “We’ll have 10 incident response teams and a maintenance crews working to keep traffic moving this evening. We also have extra crews on standby in case we need reinforcements.”
How is wind affecting the SR 520 bridge?
Bridge engineers were seeing sustained winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. today. Bridge crews will be stationed on SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating bridge until 3 p.m. keeping an eye on the wind speeds and bridge function.
As of 2:30 p.m., it appeared unlikely that the winds would pick up again. Bridge engineers say most likely the bridge will remain OPEN to traffic for the rest of the day.
Drivers can check the latest wind speeds between 5 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on WSDOT’s Web site at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/incidents.
Wind and rain in other areas
Winds and rain have been affecting other state highways where crews are seeing downed trees and downed powerlines. These roads included:
US 2 near Index
SR 203 near Carnation
SR 9 in Whatcom County
SR 542 at Deming Road
We are clearing roads as quickly as possible. It is important to check in with the highway alerts page to stay on top of these closures. www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/pugetsound.aspx
WSDOT Web site update:
At 8:40 a.m., a power outage in Olympia caused portions of the WSDOT Web page to go offline. Crews have since restored power and the WSDOT Web page is running at 100 percent.
Know before you go:
WSDOT offers several ways to get up-to-date traffic information from our Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov before you leave your home or office:
• 511 - This driver information phone line provides real-time traffic, incident and closure information. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388.
• At www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/weather drivers can look at weather forecasts and road temperatures throughout the state
• At www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts, the color-coded map shows statewide traffic conditions, including construction delays and highway incidents.
• Drivers with web service on their cellular phones and PDAs can access small-screen I-90 pass updates at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/small by clicking on the "mountain pass reports" link
• Tune into local media stations in the event that WSDOT servers are down due to storm related power outages
On the Road:
• Overhead and roadside electronic signs – Overhead and freeway signs provide emergency and incident alerts
• Highway advisory radio - Yellow signs with flashing lights alert drivers to tune into radio frequencies airing construction updates
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