

(See this map on the WSDOT site by going here)

JUST IN, 1:59 PM: WSDOT promised we’d get two weeks notice of the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s two-weeks-or-so tunneling shutdown, and that notice just arrived: The state says the closure will start before the morning commute on Friday, April 29th. Here’s the full announcement.

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW: We’ll be adding to this over the next hour or so – backstory plus useful info links.

*How to lessen the pain (advice and links)

*As you’ve probably already read in previews here and elsewhere, specific plans include:

• WSDOT and SDOT will actively monitor highway and street traffic, adjusting signal timing, updating electronic message boards and

deploying additional incident response teams as needed. • King County Metro is rerouting 12 routes and deploying 22 buses to help maintain schedules.

[See page 2 of this PDF for West Seattle specifics including a larger version of the map above.] • Police officers will provide manual traffic control at key chokepoint intersections. • King County Water Taxi will add five extra round trips to its Vashon route and will provide additional parking and connector shuttle capacity for West Seattle route passengers. [See this brochure for info on extra parking, etc.]

We also will beef up our regular traffic coverage for closer watch of West Seattle-tailored alternate routes and more during the closure. At least one alternate route is available for this, that wasn’t available for 2011’s “Viadoom” 8-day closure – the South Park Bridge.

BACKSTORY: It was almost exactly 3 years ago that we first reported a Viaduct closure was possible when the tunneling machine went beneath it, thanks to a tip from West Seattle Bike Connections president Don Brubeck.

REMINDER: As announced earlier today, that’s not the only closure West Seattleites will be dealing with – the Fauntleroy Expressway bearing-pad-re-replacement closures will start two days earlier.