Heading west on Spokane Street (the surface, not the bridge), I spot the flashing red lights of a railroad crossing. Great. Just what I needed.
I’m trying to make it to West Seattle quickly, so naturally there’s a train in the way. At least this one is moving at a fairly brisk pace. If you opt for the surface version of Spokane Street, you run the risk of having to stop for a train that’s in the process of being assembled. It can go back and forth, back and forth, for what seems like forever. And considering freight trains can be up to a mile long, that’s not much of an exaggeration.
When they’re going as fast as this one is, they’re fully assembled and on their way somewhere. Sure enough, the last car, FRED (officially, it’s called a Rear End Device. The guys who used to inhabit cabooses hate these things. You can therefore guess what the ‘F’ stands for) attached to the coupler, passes by.
A few blocks later, more flashing red lights. There’s another train. Well, it is an industrial area.
This one isn’t moving quite as fast. I look southward, and see four big locomotives. If it were being assembled, there’d be a single yard engine at the front (and as the numerous signs warn, some are remotely controlled). So I guess I can wait.
But this train slows down. And with a *crash* resulting from the crack-the-whip effect of a half-mile’s worth of railroad cars, comes to a stop. Then it starts to back up.
Okay, this would clear the way faster than waiting for it to pass. Except it stops again.
That’s it. I scuttle through the dirt median into the eastbound lanes. There was a ramp leading to the bridge about a block back. I can’t wait around.
I find driving the Escape on the Spokane Street Bridge’s lower viaduct section tolerable, though I’ve wondered about the condition of the pavement. I am about to find out.
Up the ramp I go, onto the bridge. Almost immediately, a sign indicates Harbor Island, its bottom yellow part signifying Exit Only. I got a whole lane of my own, recently resurfaced no less. Very quickly I find myself approaching the low-level West Seattle Bridge, only I’m in the right lane instead of the left one that emerges from under the ramps at East Marginal Way.
Geez. I’ve been torturing myself on that awful pavement for how long…?
Bookmark or share this article:
Del.icio.us :: 
Digg :: 
Newsvine :: 
Facebook
Subscribe to the RSS feed
