By Gwen Davis
Judy Evans has been a witness of Seattle’s growth and vibrancy for decades. A Belltown resident since the 1960s, Evans has seen a lot of change in the city over the years — everything from population upticks, to the initiation of the booming tech industry, to residential neighborhood morphs. But nothing has been making her more intrigued to be a Seattleite recently then dreams about the not-too-distant future when the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be demolished. By the end of 2018, the SR 99 underground tunnel will be open for use, and the viaduct will be taken down — dramatically opening up Seattle’s waterfront.
“We’ve been here a long time,” Evans said of her and her family. “We are very much looking forward to the demolition of the viaduct.”
Evans described the viaduct structure as “a curse”.
“It’s funneling all that traffic, it’s gridlocked all the time, and it cuts off the waterfront from the city,” she said. “I think it’s too bad it was built.”
When the structure is taken down, Seattle will retrieve its stolen waterfront powers.
“This is a really exciting time for us,” she said with a grin.
Seattle’s aging Alaskan Way Viaduct will be demolished near the end of 2018, shortly after the State Route 99 tunnel opens. Recently, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has jumpstarted its efforts to inform the public about the demolition project, which will take up to nine months. Additionally, the project details are not yet finalized, and WSDOT is hoping to take any public concerns or suggestions into consideration.
To kickstart the public input efforts, WSDOT hosted an open house on August 10 to show people the plans, and answer questions.
The demolition project will cost $60-80 million. WSDOT has not secured a contractor yet, so a specific price tag is not available at this time, nor exact plans. A contract will be awarded in early 2018.
Seattle voters approved a $2 billion package for the viaduct replacement project in 2011.
WSDOT's goal is to complete the tunnel by the end of 2018, early 2019 at the latest. Three to four weeks later, the viaduct will be closed off.
"We certainly talked about having some sort of public goodbye event," said Chad Schuster, a consultant with WSDOT. "The structure's been around for a long time and people want to celebrate."
In the meantime, WSDOT will do more earthquake renovations on the viaduct, if needed. (Back in 2011, earthquake readiness concerns were largely what prompted the replacement project to begin with.) The viaduct is inspected four times a year, and if any viability issues of the structure pop up between now and when the viaduct is closed, WSDOT will do necessary repairs.
Where will the remains of the viaduct go, including tons of cement? That will be up to the contractor, Schuster said. Remnants will also probably be available to the public, like when the Kingdome was imploded and other huge city monuments taken down.
“We made pieces available when we demolished the southern part of the viaduct in 2011,” Schuster said. “Ultimately, the materials will belong to the contractor, but [keepsake pieces] are something we have been thinking about, knowing that people will be interested."
At this time, the tunnel will most likely retain its current name — SR 99 — Schuster said. But a new name is not off the table.
Brian Nielsen, director of the SR 99 tunnel said that WSDOT has been working with public safety agencies, in case any safety concerns arise with the tunnel’s use.
“We’ve gone through extensive planning efforts with Seattle police, fire and WSDOT operations people, so we have plans for any number of things that could go wrong in the tunnel, including terrorist attacks, fires and traffic accidents,” Nielsen said.
Schuster noted that WSDOT’s recent online open house about the viaduct demolition had a lot of response from the public. He looks forward to WSDOT sharing more about the project’s plans with the pubic once a contractor is secured.
“Everyone at WSDOT is shifting focus,” Schuster said. “For a long time we were talking about Bertha and the tunnel. But now our purpose is to remind people about the demolition coming up, and we want to hear from them and what they’re concerned about.”
Crews will demolish the viaduct in sections to minimize its effects on any given area and limit road closures. During the demolition, WSDOT will keep at least one lane of Alaskan Way open in each direction. Transit access into downtown Seattle will be maintained.
Along with the viaduct work, the Battery Street Tunnel will also be decommissioned and Aurora Ave. N. from Denny St. to Harrison St. rebuilt. The work is scheduled to take place in 2019 and 2020.
Ann Wittkowsky, a Seattle resident who has lived in the city for the past 35 years, is also excited for the viaduct’s demolition, although it will not be without some degree of loss.
“Part of the culture of entering the city is being on the viaduct and getting to see that incredible view which won’t be completely available anymore,” she said.
She also voiced that two exits that currently get drivers off SR 99 — Seneca and Western — won’t exist. “The only entry and exit points will be the south end and the north end of the tunnel and for a person who lives or works in the city, that will be a little bit of a hardship.”
However, she said the benefits greatly outweigh the cons.
“In the long run, this is just tremendously exciting,” she said.
