Note to Queen Anne residents: You may want to try to avoid commuting to Ballard during rush hours for the next few days. With one northbound lane of the Ballard Bridge closed all week, drivers are getting stuck the backup.

Our network editor, Doug, took this photo around 1 p.m. on Tuesday from the Dravus Street overpass. With a combination of SDOT crews closing the right lane to install light pole brackets and boat traffic, crossing the bridge can take much longer than normal. As a reminder, the lane will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through this coming Friday.

Traffic note: Seattle Department of Transportation crews plan to install light pole brackets on the Ballard Bridge this week. The northbound, right lane of the bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. Monday, August 2 through Friday, August 6. Pedestrians will be assisted on the sidewalk by a traffic flagger. This work could be delayed if emergency work is required an another location.

Traffic note: The right curb lane heading in the northbound direction of the Ballard Bridge will be closed on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. so Seattle Department of Transportation crews can repair a damaged water line.

SDOT crews will also be closing lanes on southbound Aurora Ave N today so that undergrowth along the roadway may be mowed. Rolling closures on the curb lane will to happening from 9 a.m. to noon from W. Raye Street to W. Galer Street. Bus stops will remain open.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews will close the southbound, curb lane of the Ballard Bridge on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The closure will allow SDOT crews to complete a routine maintenance inspection of the bridge.

1:15pm update: Crews have finished their inspections and found no damage.

Original report: You probably didn’t feel the 3.4 earthquake near Duvall around 5:20 this morning, but that small shaker has crews out inspecting the Magnolia Bridge and the Ballard Bridge. SDOT tells us those bridges are “indicator posts” that show if further inspections need to be done across the city. While some crews may be seen on the deck on the Ballard Bridge this morning, most of the inspection of the Magnolia Bridge will take place under the structure.

Seattle Department of Transportation engineers will complete their inspection of the Ballard Bridge on Friday, May 7. The northbound, right-hand lane at the south end of the bridge will be closed from 10 a.m. to noon.

SDOT was called in after Wednesday’s large fire burned directly under the structure.

Seattle Fire investigators have determined that Wednesday’s late-night fire under the south end of the Ballard Bridge was caused by a transient cooking fire.

Firefighters were called out just before 11:30 p.m. after a report of smoke coming from underneath the bridge. When crews arrived on scene, they found a fire underneath the bridge in a storage yard. Four small boats, a truck and wooden pallets were destroyed before the fire was extinguished about 20 minutes later. Because of the location of the fire, the bridge sustained soot and fire damage. According to Seattle Fire, Seattle Department of Transportation inspectors have inspected the integrity of the structure.

Investigators have ruled the fire as accidental and damage is estimated at $100,000.

Last night Major fire burns under Ballard Bridge

Updated 1:55 a.m. The Ballard Bridge reopened just before 2 a.m., two hours after a major fire burned underneath the south end of the structure.

The Ballard Bridge closed as a major fire burned underneath the south end of the structure late Wednesday night.

Our sister site, MyBallard.com is updating information here.

One of the great things about Queen Anne in the summer is that the location provides a number of captivating and enjoyable routes for walking and cycling to and around town! But if you’re looking forward to taking a stroll over the Ballard Bridge in the coming months, you might have to put your plans on hold. This summer, Seattle Department of Transportation crews will be painting one half of the Ballard Bridge, affecting pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Rick Sheridan with SDOT tells us that pedestrian access on either the east or west side of the bridge will be shut down entirely during the painting. The other side of the bridge will remain open. No word on when painting will start or which side of the bridge crews will work on first. The side that isn’t painted this year will be painted next year.

Heading to north Seattle in the next couple of days? You might want to reroute your commute to bypass Ballard, or plan for extra traffic time–SDOT will be closing lanes over the Ballard Bridge this week for repairs. On Tuesday, April 27 the right northbound lane will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and on Wednesday, April 28 the right southbound lane will be closed during the same hours. SDOT says motorists should expect delays.