The Alaskan Way Viaduct, built in 1953, was celebrated one last time on Saturday, Oct. 22, with a public walk on, a brief sojourn along it by the Rat City Roller Girls and the Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Club and speeches by Governor Christine Gregoire, County Executive Dow Constantine and others as the demolition of the structure's southern mile gets underway during a nine day closure.

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The event began at 9:30 in drizzly pea soup weather that did not deter thousands of people from coming down to bid the double decker roadway a goodbye. Some were sorry to see it go, losing a view from the upper deck, but many others were happy to see a solution finally get underway. Deann Casallo of West Seattle said, " I think it's good but then again it's going to be a little chaotic with the traffic, especially with all the people who take the bus (...) In the future when we have that big earthquake it's a safer, better thing to do."

Once the public was cleared from the viaduct it was time for the winners of a contest sponsored by WSDOT to spend their 30 minutes on the roadway doing what they wanted to do. The Rat City Roller Girls did a sort of simulated bout, mostly just skating their way down the new southbound off ramp from the part of the viaduct that will remain for the next two years as the deep bore tunnel is built to take its place. They were cheered by hundreds gathered at the bottom of the ramp and were followed by Dave Eady and the Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Stunt and Drill Team who performed several stunts, at one point with six men forming a human pyramid on two motorcycles to the delight of the crowd.

Washington Governor Christine Gregoire thanked all those responsible for the project. "We need this project," she said, " We need it today because it will put people to work but we also need it because it's about jobs in the future, in which our workers can get to work and businesses can get their goods to market. This project is absolutely critical to Washington's economic future. Boeing knows it. The farmer's of eastern Washington know it. The port knows it. And our small businesses know it. Any tourist or any Washingtonian who walks down the Seattle waterfront and cannot hear the person standing right next to them, knows it as well." Acknowleding the leadership of members of the legislature, the Port of Seattle and others she said, "Because of this leadership the entire state is going to benefit from a world class waterfront without a failing, noisy viaduct. One day our grandkids are going to walk down there and ask what took us so long my friends because it's going to be spectacular."

King County Executive Dow Constantine said, "I was a 39 year old state senator when we suddenly felt the legislative building begin shaking back in 2001. The Nisqually earthquake began this process. I'm going to turn 50 years old in a couple of weeks and I'm glad we got this underway before that happened," as the crowd laughed. "I'm a lifelong resident of West Seattle and this viaduct has been a part of my daily life for as long as I can remember. When I was a young high school student I and some of my friends would sometimes come here, late at night when the viaduct in those days was pretty much deserted, so we could ah, you know, practice our driving skills," a comment that drew another chuckle from the crowd.

Piles of rubble were dumped for the crowd to pick up and take home as souvenirs with many unsure what they will do with the chunks of debris.

The teardown of the remainder of the viaduct will have to wait at least another two years as the deep bore tunnel that will replace it is completed.