How Many Lanes Are There On the Aurora Bridge?

We first noticed it a few weeks ago and assumed that maybe all the gravel they threw down on the road was obscuring the lines, but this weekend we again made a rare trip up to Fremont on Highway 99 across the Aurora Bridge and, no joke, the line separating the right-most lane from the center lane appears to be gone. The painted lines have disappeared, and all that remains of the reflectors are gouges in the asphalt, both north- and south-bound.

It was always been a bit terrifying to have to drive in the narrow right lane across the bridge anyway, pinched between the barrier and some SUV that barely fits on the road as it is. But now it's approaching anarchy: locals continue to behave as if there are three lanes, while out-of-towners (or just the confused) take the bridge straddling what we're pretty sure is still two lanes.

No signs appear before the bridge either north- or south-bound announcing a lane merge, so we're assuming that ~~WSDOT~~ SDOT hasn't removed a lane and just forgot to put up a sign. We intend to get the official word on this and post it soon, but just for the hell of it, what do you think, Seattle commuters? How many lanes are there crossing the Aurora Bridge?

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By Jeremy in Miscellaneous on January 12, 2009 11:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Matt

@13 apparently, the right lane.

Troy Morris

I get that it takes a while to re-stripe, but they needed signs. Apparently, they just got them (phew!).

partyfernandez

did they really plow the aurora bridge? with the 14' high (+/-) barrier between the right lane and sidewalk, where did the snow get plowed to?

Oran Viriyincy

I was on the bus going across the Aurora Bridge southbound today and they had a sign up saying "Right Lane Closed" right after the merge from Fremont.

SDOT has been aware of this since the new year and have written a work instruction to get the lane markings repainted ASAP. First a crew must be out on the bridge to mark where the lanes go. Then they have to wait for the weather to dry out before they can paint anything. Perhaps next week where the forecast is dry weather but I cannot tell for sure.

Matt

Spraying paint on wet pavement isn't a great idea. This being Seattle, you'll have to wait a while.

metagrete

This issue is also on Crosscut. It's a pretty good article explaining that the rain and temperature is slowing them down. Hope this helps!

Troy Morris

Hey Jeremy, thanks for writing this!

I've been meaning to request it for a week, and I would have written your first paragraph nearly word for word.

What's up with that SDOT? It's been over a week and half... that bridge is already fucking dangerous!

MonkeyPilot

It's on the MyBallard blog.

Jeremy

@1 & 6--I really do think you're correct, though I haven't heard back from SDOT yet and couldn't find the blog post mentioned @ 2 (someone wanna forward to me?). I just find it surprising that they haven't done anything about it yet. It can't be that hard to lay down some paint lines, even temp ones, or put up some sort of warning sign, since it is affecting some people's driving and creating a scary situation.

Matt

@3 Other city's streets are designed for snowplows. You'll notice lowered or flexible reflectors, as well as lowered painted lines. You certainly won't see any turtles, but you also won't see manholes extending past the road surface (which can throw the driver through the windshield). If we really want to be a serious snowplowing city then we'll have to rebuild all of our roads.

I vote that we all relax, stay home, and play in the snow.

@5 I'm guessing they plowed only two lanes. Over time the outer plow probably was driving slightly to the right of the second lane. Although it's been reported only on the bridges, it extends well north of the Aurora bridge.

MonkeyPilot

If those lines were removed by snowplows, why on earth would they only remove the outside lines? And only on the bridge, not before or after it? I don't get it.

Mike D

oops. I meant @1. Sorry!

Mike D

@2: In other parts of the country where snowplows are used regularly, one week of heavy snow doesn't wipe the lanes away. I've seen this in areas of Seattle without the raised bumps, leading me to believe we've used an inferior type of paint.

I've seriously never seen anything like this before.

JMP

There are 3 lanes, it was brought up on another blog (can't remember which one) and the answer from the DOT was the lane lines washed away with the snow and there is top priority to repaint them (and some on the West Seattle Bridge too.)

Matt

It's a preview of what would happen all over the city if we really switched to metal-edged snowplows that Seattlites keep yelling for.

I direct you to the "Save the Turtles!" campaign.