Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct

The Alaskan Way Viaduct of Seattle is a road under siege. Built in 1953, as State Route 99, the Alaskan Way is a north-south route alongside Seattle's Elliot Bay and carries approximately 105,000 vehicles per day. After portions of the structurally similar Cyprus Street Viaduct of Oakland, CA crumbled during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, the integrity of the Alaskan Way became highly suspect. In 2001, damage by the Nisqually Earthquake confirmed these suspicions, necessitating emergency repairs and calling into question its long-term viability. The City of Seattle and the State of Washington have been wrestling with what to do with the aging, precarious structure ever since.

Removal Proposals

In 2007, after a study by the University of Washington found that damage from continued post-earthquake settling will further damamge the structure, they recomended the viaduct be destroyed within 4 years. Initial proposals released by the Washington State Department of Transportation for replacement arterials included only an expanded elevated highway or a tunnel during the downtown segment--each with price tags of $4 billion or more--met with fierce opposition. On a March 13, 2007, Seattleites voted both of these options down in a local referendum--welcoming in a surface and transit option.

The Boulevard Option

With the two expensive options off the table, Cary Moon and the People's Waterfront Coalition have capitalized on momentum for a surface boulevard alternative. The organization envisions an open, lanscaped boulevard with built in options for transit. This human-scale structure would re-open the waterfront to the community and restore the shoreline, thus supporting a vibrant urban atmosphere. Further development along the newly opened 335 acres of public land on Seattle's waterfront could give way to new parks, beaches, and development--and save the city years of construction delays and billions of dollars. "If you try to build your way out of congestion," says Moon, "you'll ruin your city or go broke trying."

Future Plans

In January, 2008 Governor Christine Gregoire decreed that "no-action" was not an option, and that by 2012 the Viaduct would come down, though has not decided on a specific replacement. The current mayor Greg Nickels and other local officials still support the tunnel option, despite the prohibitive cost and voter disapproval. After the March, 2007 voter rejection of the rebuilding and tunneling options, the city went back to work, putting together other proposals.Today, there are 8 alternatives, three of which involve replacing the elevated structure with surface roads.

Resources

Smart Mobility Sept. 2006: Alaskan Way Viaduct: Analysis of No-replacement Option

The Alaskan Way Viaduct, as seen from Elliot Bay. Source: Wikipedia

Source: Flickr.com Slightlynorth

One of three proposed surface level alternatives Source: Washington State DOT