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Lane vanishes from Aurora Bridge

Posted by Geeky Swedes on January 1st, 2009

We read in comments recently (our apologies, we don’t remember who posted it) that the snow plows and sanders had inadvertently eliminated a lane from the Aurora Bridge. Today, we drove over the bridge and snapped a photo:

Going in either direction, the reflectors and lines separating the second and third lanes have vanished. We found some drivers were swerving a bit, confused if there were really three lanes or two. (Reminds us of that Seinfeld episode when Kramer adopted a stretch of roadway and converted it into wide lanes, throwing traffic into chaos.) The West Seattle Bridge is also missing a lane. SDOT says it’s a priority to replace the reflectors and paint, so stay tuned.

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  • Wes
    I *KNEW* it!
  • aka
    tonight newscast said it would be spring before the markings would be replaced so as not to waste taxpayers money in the event of further bad weather.
  • Rudy
    Kramer's LUXURY LANES!!
  • Rachel
    I thought I was going insane! I thought there were always three lanes! I drive on it every day, you'd think I'd remember if it was two lanes or three! But being on vacation for a week can do strange things.

    HAPPY 2009!
  • BlackSheep
    Maybe it jumped.
  • Nordic Woman
    For everyone who was inconvenienced for a few days with the snow storm; I assure you that you will be inconvenienced even more days for restriping the roads. So, everyone who complains that Seattle doesn't keep a fleet of snowplows at the ready for what is an every-twenty-year event, this is why. A few days of snow, versus many, many days of lane closures in the summer.
  • Snowplows don't do this, not unless the paint is already chipped and peeling, and even then there would be something left. Maybe they got the paint from a preschool classroom.
  • Good one BlackSheep.
  • Nordic Woman
    Snowplows don't do this? What, you think pixies came during the snowstorm and chipped off the paint? Snowplows most assuredly did this. (My SO used to work for the DOT, sriping the roads. I know of what I speak.) They also scrape off the little lane marker bumps.
  • JessicaBallard
    Did anyone else see a local newscast showing the plastic striping Everett uses along I-5?

    In this link, a WSDOT person says it's the long term goal to use plastic striping everywhere, instead of paint + marker bumps. They should make an exception for Aurora (just the bridge) and do that now:

    www.komonews.com/news/36988079.html
  • Thomas
    I did not see the broadcast about the plastic striping, but you make a good point.

    Other cities who have tons of snow and plow early and often don't have the problem of lanes going away. I have been off of the Land of Ballard and I know of what I speak, most assuredly.

    But really, I like the bridge the way it is. I always hated that concrete wall hugging lane anyway...
  • Bark more, Wag less
    It'll make driving home drunk from Canlis more challenging.....
  • angstadt
    Just part of the mayor's great vision for our 18th Century future. A lane disappears here mysteriously in a snowstorm (yeah, right), a highway is torn down there, pretty soon we're all walking, and he gets that coveted "Greenest Mayor In America" statue that he's been lusting for. Long live the great Mayor Gridlock!!!
  • The concrete is quite wavy on that part of the bridge. The section that had the stripes was the highest part and I'm guessing the plow blade worked that section over quite a few times. This makes the end of the bridge even more sketchy when people are turning right. I have seen a few people straddling the lane or merging not expecting cars in the other lane.
  • AkGru
    I was driving it the other day and this yo yo in front of me kept swerving from the right line into the middle lane. Completely adrift without the lane marker.

    The problem on the bridge is that the lanes are somewhat narrow, the right side is a two foot high concrete wall that scares drivers and ultimately...

    the city will repaint the lane markers when someone gets horribly injured or killed in the next few weeks.
  • Mike D
    @6/@9: This weather would not have destroyed road markings in other places I've lived. In the Northeast our markings did not disappear after one week of heavy snow. Perhaps we can use a mix of paint and bumps? Are we using a different type of paint than is used there?
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