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Puget Sound Transportation Projects |
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Alaskan Way/SR 99 Viaduct - Seattle, WA The Alaskan Way/SR 99 Viaduct was built in the early 1950's. It serves as an important bypass for downtown Seattle and takes some of the load off of Interstate 5. As it also cross-connects with the West Seattle Freeway it is an important connector to West Seattle. The viaduct became a cause for concern after the collapse of the Cypress viaduct in the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. These concerns increased after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake damaged the viaduct further. Current plans focus on either rebuilding or replacing the viaduct with a boulevard or tunnel. Along with this project the city seawall will need to be rebuilt as well. What will happen remains in the air: the preferred replacement is a tunnel but the cost-up to 4 billion is hard to account for in the current political and economic climate. As of 2009 the current plan is to replace the viaduct with a stacked bored tunnel. However the tunnel's immense cost could cancel the project, although it has been signed off on by the state and the city of Seattle. Interesting facts: Back to Top
Thoughts: Back to Top I have taken the viaduct into the city, and especially to the Seattle Center many times. It is one of the more interesting ways to come into the city, especially at night, as you are on the upper deck. I didn't think much about its potential problems until after the 1989 quake, and it really sunk home after viewing the tour in March 2004 (see photos). However the best routing for a replacement is via a tunnel. The viaduct as it stands today does block off downtown from the waterfront. Removing the viaduct without a replacement is unreasonable given the amount of traffic it handles. The current tunnel plan will serve as a bypass of downtown, while improvements to Alaskan Way will allow access into downtown for former users of the viaduct. Future: Back to Top
Links: Back to Top
Images: Ben Brooks (all) |
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