That’s the reason we’re doing without a key stretch of Highway 99 this week – so WSDOT can take down as much of the south-end section as possible, including what needs to go so crews can connect a bypass allowing them to then get to work building the other half of the new elevated south-end stretch. Here’s another view – from West Seattle-residing pilot Stephen Griffith:

(Click to see larger image)
At Seacrest Pier, some of the almost 1,000 Monday morning-commute West Seattle Water Taxi riders got to see this sunrise:

The downtown skyline was a striking backdrop for the vessel itself, too.

The extra 100+ spaces at nearby Don Armeni Boat Ramp were a hit, full before the morning commute ended:

Besides the Water Taxi, which hit capacity three times in the morning commute (and approached 1,000 morning passengers total), bicycles were a popular alternative – Wes Sauer shared this photo:

Trains were a sore spot during the evening commute, with buses getting stuck waiting for them too. Linda Thielke of Metro told WSB that they are relying on a “flexible reroute plan with three options each direction” to deal with the trains, even knowing it’s “cumbersome” to ask drivers to deal with that. Don’t be startled if your bus diverts all the way to the 1st Avenue South Bridge – she says, that “adds miles but can save minutes.” We’ll be back on commute patrol in just a few hours.