Editor's note: This article is from Seattle City Council member Nick Licata's Urban Politics newsletter.

Dig that tunnel.

Chants of "drill, baby, drill" from this past fall echo in my mind, as the near unanimous political and editorial constellations line up to support the deep bore tunnel option for replacing the Alaska Way Viaduct. Although, technically, I suppose it would be "bore, baby, bore."

In any case, unlike Governor Palin, the clear winners in this billion dollar poker game are Mayor Nickels, Gov. (Chris) Gregoire and King County Executive Ron Sims. Kudos should also be given to Seattle Council member Jan Drago who, as I recall, was one of the first to promote the deep bore tunnel after the prior tunnel/surface solution was rejected by almost 70 percent of Seattle voters.

No need to mention who the losers are, other than identifying myself as one who had sided with the general public in rejecting the tunnel as too expensive an option for local tax payers to be burdened with. The latest tunnel financing option adroitly sidestepped that obstacle by having the state pick up the tunnel construction costs and any cost overruns as well.

If that truly is the case, then Seattle has gained a significant victory. Considering that more than 99 percent of the design work has yet to be done on the project, the current cost estimates being accurate are as likely as a crowded race for Seattle mayor this fall. I note that the Mercer Project's cost doubled from the original estimated costs based on a similar level of design work.

The ball really is in the state legislature's court, but if media reports are accurate in saying that the chairs of the transportation

committees in both the Senate and the House are supporting this option, then even the party leaders in those chambers will have their work cut out for them to forestall any vote of support for the tunnel option.

I suspect the debate will center around who picks up cost overruns, so Seattle should expect that the state guarantee might be whittled away.

Keeping your eye on this ball however does distract you from the other one that is whizzing toward your head; which is about a billion dollar ball. So what is that all about? Well here's how it is rolling out as best I can tell, some of it will be incomplete, as full details are still emerging.

BORED TUNNEL HYBRID ALTERNATIVE

The $4.2 million Bored Tunnel Hybrid Alternative includes a $1.9 billion, four-lane bored tunnel