SEATTLE — Morning commuters saw delays due to downed trees across the Puget Sound region closing roads and impacting public transit. This was due to a major wind storm resulting from a bomb cyclone which formed off of Washington's coast.
The Washington State Department of Transportation advised morning commuters to give themselves extra time to reach their destination because traffic will be impacted all over the region.
Sound Transit advised that link light rail service began at 7 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. Wednesday morning to give overnight crews time to clear storm debris and inspect systems before opening for service. Riders are asked to follow service alerts for the latest info.
King County Metro said bus service would be affected by the storm. A tree fell on a King County Metro bus Tuesday night. The driver was uninjured and the bus was empty at the time.
Riders were advised to keep an eye on service alerts.
State Route 18 was closed in Issaquah between Interstate 90 and Issaquah-Hobart Road from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning due to downed trees. The roadway reopened just before 11 a.m.
State Route 169/Renton-Maple Valley Road was closed between Southeast Jones Street and SR 18 near Maple Valley Heights due to downed trees and power lines. Additional locations north and south of Maple Valley were also closed, according to WSDOT.
State Route 164 was closed near Southeast 368th Place southeast of Auburn due to fallen trees and power lines.
State Route 9 reopened after closing north of Hoogdal Road north of Sedro-Woolley due to downed trees and power lines.
Northbound Interstate 405 was closed for a time on Tuesday night after a tree fell and blocked lanes. That blockage was cleared at around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday morning.