SR 99 Waterfront Video - August 2009

In January 2009, Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, former King County Executive Ron Sims, and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced their recommendation to replace the central waterfront portion of the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct and adjacent seawall. The recommendation includes a bored tunnel beneath downtown, a new waterfront surface street, transit investments, and city street and waterfront improvements.

This drive-through simulation shows a design concept for the proposed waterfront boulevard. This new Alaskan Way would be built in the footprint of the current viaduct. It would connect to Elliott and Western avenues and provide access to downtown and SR 99.

Gov. Gregoire signed legislation in May 2009 that provides funding for the proposed bored tunnel. The program team is working on environmental review plans and other contracting work, so tunnel construction can begin in 2011. More information regarding the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program is available at www.alaskanwayviaduct.org.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• wsdot
• washingtongovernment
• alaskan way viaduct
• seattle

[benjaminpulanco]

i live in west seattle and i like it! going downtown? take the waterfront. going north to ballard? take the tunnel. going to the waterfront? ride your bike or walk and enjoy the open space.

[rjadams74]

Looks great - obviously the red brick everywhere is a placeholder, but man, could this be a nice waterfront someday!

[xavoc]

Why wasn't this replaced with a simple cut and cover tunnel while turning the above-ground area into a very large waterfront park again? Oh right, bored tunnels are more expensive and in the end we get something that doesn't actually remove SR99, SR 99 is simply no longer elevated and has more stop lights.

[jste77]

this is, by far, the gayest version for the replacment. too many stop lights. too much possible congestion. this all means more air and noise pollution. seattle, quit trying to be like 'frisco and be more like yourselves.

[momododopopococo]

@jakejeckel1 You're confused. The state wouldn't have pulled funding if the tunnel was nixed, the federal government would've. "SR" stands for State Route not Seattle Route.

[narv2008]

Seattle have many great projects

[mativa]

yea its about time the waterfront got a new look. it will be a nice transition from all the hobos and unwanted tents and trailers posted up under it.

[TheDriverfan]

great video

[bryanrogowski]

More trees are needed to dampen sound from the 4 lanes of traffic and to provide a safety barrier for pedestrians on the sidewalk.

[Explorersea]

great presentation, it will be great

[666hossman]

mear fantasy,wheres all the long shore trucks that plug every thing up at royal brougham? How about the Rail line below the viaduct? ever have to sit and wait for a train?wait and wait 'cause the longshores have a call at the port? or a sports event lets out and theres 60,000 fans trying to get the hell out of there, and yes sometimes this happens all at once! Nice Try...

[FuriousCoder]

I never knew. Thanks!

I'd really like to see some kind of rail based transit from the waterfront, all the way up to Ballard along Elliot and 15th. With the UW Link Extension, and the First Hill Streetcar, almost all of the city would then be connected by some kind of rail.