The SR-99 Drawbridge Stopped Morning Traffic for Three Hours

This morning, the First Avenue South Bridge, also known as the SR-99 drawbridge, got stuck in the open position, bringing traffic to a standstill.

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It was a long and frustrating wait for drivers trying to head north on SR-99, with the Washington State Department of Transportation trying to get it to release and come down.

Miles of Traffic Backup After Busy Seattle Drawbridge Gets Stuck

The alert about the stuck bridge went out around 6:37 a.m., when traffic was starting to build. Drivers suddenly came to a complete stop as the bridge refused to lower ahead.

Crews were sent in to troubleshoot, but there was no immediate estimate on when things would be fixed.

With one of the key northbound routes suddenly out of commission, backups in the area grew fast.

Traffic on SR-509 stretched for more than three miles, and drivers were diverted off SR-99 at South Holden Street to try to ease the congestion. Those changes didn't really help relieve a slow-moving morning across the area until the bridge was finally lowered over three hours later.

SR-99 Drawbridge Traffic was Finally Moving Again

After just over three hours of delays, the bridge finally lowered around 9:43 a.m. Slow traffic in the area was reported at least an hour after the bridge reopening.

Gradually, traffic began to return to normal.