Early morning commuters in Seattle faced significant delays on Tuesday after a suspected transformer fire led to a full southbound closure of the George Washington Memorial Bridge, locally known as the Aurora Bridge. The incident was first reported by the Seattle Police Department at 5:52 a.m., as they took to social media advising motorists to seek alternative routes, according to KING5.
Efforts to restore normalcy were swift as the Seattle Department of Transportation managed to partially reopen the bridge. One southbound lane of Aurora Avenue North was made available to traffic at Raye Street by 7:18 a.m., easing some of the early congestion. By mid-morning, the situation significantly improved, with a second lane following suit at 10:38 a.m., and ultimately, full southbound access was restored shortly after at 10:43 a.m. These developments were documented by KOMO News, who closely monitored the traffic situation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation as authorities work to understand the full breadth of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
With the bridge's reopening, commuters were able to gradually get back on track with their daily schedules. The incident, while causing early disruption, did not lead to any reported injuries, and traffic patterns began to return to normal as the morning progressed.
