Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and King County Department of Transportation (KCDOT) issued news releases to West Seattle residents this week informing commuters crossing the West Seattle Bridge about the upcoming $168 million Spokane Street Viaduct work. An SDOT link lays out specific construction projects currently in progress that will take over two years to finish.

SDOT spokesperson Marybeth Turner said, "Spokane Street and West Seattle Viaduct are very important for traffic circulation, and limiting access to them is bound to have an impact, although we are striving to reduce impacts as much as possible. The long-term benefit of the project will be considerable improvement, and it will also improve access to downtown Seattle during replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct."

Improvements include widening of the Spokane Viaduct (upper roadway), South Spokane Street reconstruction (lower roadway), the eastbound 4th Avenue off-ramp commuters witness now taking shape, and the new westbound on- and off-ramp at 1st Avenue.

As a result, some rerouting suggestions have been made by SDOT. Possibly the most challenging of these are the two suggested detours to West Seattle from Costco, K2 Sports, and other businesses in that South Seattle area, as the 1st Avenue S. on-ramp will be closed this May until fall of 2011. That's one and a half years.

How to get back from Costco
SDOT suggests that from Costco, located at 4401 4th Avenue S., head north on Fourth Avenue S. to South Lander St. Turn left on Lander and continue to First Avenue S. Turn left and proceed to South Hanford St. Turn right onto Hanford, left on East Marginal Way and then right onto South Spokane St. Follow Spokane Street across the Spokane Street swing bridge.

The weak link here may be pothole-plagued Hanford Street as automobiles compete with 18-wheelers to cross train tracks located a few hundred feet before East Marginal Way as slow-moving freight trains crawl back and forth switching cars. Also, if the swing bridge is up, that's trouble too.

It offers a second option, from Costco, to go south on Fourth Avenue S. to South Michigan. At Michigan turn right and continue west onto the First Avenue S. Bridge. Go south on the bridge and take the exit to West Marginal Way and head back northwest to the Spokane Street swing bridge. Of course you now have to drive over two relatively low bridges to get home.

Impact on commuters
K2Sports moved more than 200 employees into its 118,000 square foot space on 4201 Sixth Avenue S. from Vashon Island in 2006. It is estimated that nearly half of their workers live on Vashon Island. Those employees, together with those living in West Seattle, cross the West Seattle Bridge as islanders head to the Fauntleroy Ferry after work.

According to Linda Thielke, KCDOT public affairs coordinator, King County Metro, there are no buses scheduled to travel past Costco on 4th Avenue S. that go to West Seattle.

Also, the West Seattle Herald asked Turner about the possibility of limiting the opening of the Spokane Street swing bridge during afternoon peak periods while drivers are using it as a detour route. She said SDOT is bound by federal laws that give marine traffic the right of way over vehicle traffic. The swing bridge opens on demand, even during rush hour.