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Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Tunnel

Started by jakeroot, April 21, 2014, 06:29:22 PM

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Henry

Quote from: silverback1065 on June 18, 2018, 06:38:20 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on February 28, 2018, 05:43:20 PM
My prediction is this will be the last deep-bored road tunnel to be constructed in the United States. Given that other tunnels (Gowanus Tunnel, 710 extension) have gone down in flames, I'd be very surprised if any more are constructed. I would love for more road tunnels like this one to be constructed, but given the expense (and in 710's case, NIMBYS), and other factors, I don't see any more being built.

have you heard of the scam Elon Musk sold to Chicago?  :-D
Oh yeah, I just read that one! IIRC, it would be a high-speed rail tunnel that would connect downtown to O'Hare Airport. And given that this will not be a road tunnel, I agree with the Alaskan Way being the last one built in America for a very long time.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!


ErmineNotyours

I can't remember where I saw it, but someone commented on the SR 99 sign gantries on either side of the Battery Street Tunnel, and how one of them will be saved for display.  I like the googlie-type bubbles in the design.

SR 99 gantry by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

qguy

Quote from: ErmineNotyours on July 15, 2018, 10:01:17 PM
I can't remember where I saw it, but someone commented on the SR 99 sign gantries on either side of the Battery Street Tunnel, and how one of them will be saved for display.  I like the googlie-type bubbles in the design.

SR 99 gantry by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

Those circular cutouts are borrowed from the aerospace industry, specifically aluminum aircraft design. The cutouts save weight without compromising structural integrity.

jakeroot

Quote from: qguy on July 15, 2018, 10:43:30 PM
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on July 15, 2018, 10:01:17 PM
I can't remember where I saw it, but someone commented on the SR 99 sign gantries on either side of the Battery Street Tunnel, and how one of them will be saved for display.  I like the googlie-type bubbles in the design.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/917/29565800988_dc4e665f91_z.jpg

Those circular cutouts are borrowed from the aerospace industry, specifically aluminum aircraft design. The cutouts save weight without compromising structural integrity.

Very fitting, considering this area's aviation heritage.




Is that a poster on the back of the middle sign?

The Ghostbuster

I hope they preserve the US 99 sign when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is torn down. I'd hate to see it be destroyed. Maybe a roadgeek could purchase the sign, if it were up for sale that is.

qguy

#405
Quote from: jakeroot on July 15, 2018, 11:12:47 PM
Quote from: qguy on July 15, 2018, 10:43:30 PM
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on July 15, 2018, 10:01:17 PM
I can't remember where I saw it, but someone commented on the SR 99 sign gantries on either side of the Battery Street Tunnel, and how one of them will be saved for display.  I like the googlie-type bubbles in the design.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/917/29565800988_dc4e665f91_z.jpg

Those circular cutouts are borrowed from the aerospace industry, specifically aluminum aircraft design. The cutouts save weight without compromising structural integrity.
Very fitting, considering this area's aviation heritage.

I didn't think about that, but you're right. I'm certain that's precisely what it's meant to evoke. With the added benefit that it's functional as well. The punchouts serve the same purpose here. Pluses all around.

It would be a shame to lose such a unique and fitting piece.

Hurricane Rex

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 16, 2018, 03:53:13 PM
I hope they preserve the US 99 sign when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is torn down. I'd hate to see it be destroyed. Maybe a roadgeek could purchase the sign, if it were up for sale that is.

Just a suggestion, could WSDOT put the sign on the SB entrance to the tunnel as it would still make sense there? That would be my vote.
ODOT, raise the speed limit and fix our traffic problems.

Road and weather geek for life.

Running till I die.

Bruce

Quote from: Hurricane Rex on July 17, 2018, 07:52:36 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 16, 2018, 03:53:13 PM
I hope they preserve the US 99 sign when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is torn down. I'd hate to see it be destroyed. Maybe a roadgeek could purchase the sign, if it were up for sale that is.

Just a suggestion, could WSDOT put the sign on the SB entrance to the tunnel as it would still make sense there? That would be my vote.

The sign would be best suited to a place on the new waterfront promenade. Being able to walk up to the sign for pictures is a valuable asset, but the north portal is hard to access by foot.

US 89

Quote from: Bruce on July 17, 2018, 08:59:08 PM
Quote from: Hurricane Rex on July 17, 2018, 07:52:36 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 16, 2018, 03:53:13 PM
I hope they preserve the US 99 sign when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is torn down. I'd hate to see it be destroyed. Maybe a roadgeek could purchase the sign, if it were up for sale that is.

Just a suggestion, could WSDOT put the sign on the SB entrance to the tunnel as it would still make sense there? That would be my vote.

The sign would be best suited to a place on the new waterfront promenade. Being able to walk up to the sign for pictures is a valuable asset, but the north portal is hard to access by foot.

The problem with that is that signs of that nature tend to get vandalized beyond recognition. There would need to be extra care taken to ensure that people don't put a bunch of stickers or write graffiti on it.

Alps

Quote from: US 89 on July 18, 2018, 12:33:11 AM
Quote from: Bruce on July 17, 2018, 08:59:08 PM
Quote from: Hurricane Rex on July 17, 2018, 07:52:36 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 16, 2018, 03:53:13 PM
I hope they preserve the US 99 sign when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is torn down. I'd hate to see it be destroyed. Maybe a roadgeek could purchase the sign, if it were up for sale that is.

Just a suggestion, could WSDOT put the sign on the SB entrance to the tunnel as it would still make sense there? That would be my vote.

The sign would be best suited to a place on the new waterfront promenade. Being able to walk up to the sign for pictures is a valuable asset, but the north portal is hard to access by foot.

The problem with that is that signs of that nature tend to get vandalized beyond recognition. There would need to be extra care taken to ensure that people don't put a bunch of stickers or write graffiti on it.
1) coat it with angry bees
2) install showerheads spraying H2SO4 at random angles
3) the closer a person gets to the sign the louder Nickelback plays

jakeroot

Here's my idea:

Name one of the waterfront parks "99 Park". Install the BGS overhead on the removed aviation-style gantry, currently on NB 99 at Western, as a welcoming gate.

I could mock it up in SketchUp at some point if anyone is interested.

Bruce

It's not like hard-to-reach BGSes don't get vandalized all over the place.

If we wanted to be cheeky, you could always put the sign up at Pier 99 (just west of Smith Cove,).

MikieTimT

They should just start putting used gum on it.  Then it becomes art instead of vandalizing!

TEG24601

I would expect the gantry, along with the still extant US 99 shield downtown to end up at MOHI, or someplace similar.
They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.

Bruce

Just heard back from WSDOT via e-mail on this subject:

QuoteWhile there are currently no plans to preserve the U.S. Highway 99 sign above the Columbia Street on-ramp, the City and State are working together to determine if there are any additional elements that can be preserved from the viaduct.

That being said, WSDOT has directed the contractor to preserve sign gantries at the ends of the Battery Street Tunnel.

So, it looks like there's some work to be done. Perhaps one of the neighborhood historical societies would be interested in spearheading a preservation effort.

jakeroot

Quote from: Bruce on August 09, 2018, 01:46:16 AM
Just heard back from WSDOT via e-mail on this subject:

QuoteWhile there are currently no plans to preserve the U.S. Highway 99 sign above the Columbia Street on-ramp, the City and State are working together to determine if there are any additional elements that can be preserved from the viaduct.

That being said, WSDOT has directed the contractor to preserve sign gantries at the ends of the Battery Street Tunnel.

So, it looks like there's some work to be done. Perhaps one of the neighborhood historical societies would be interested in spearheading a preservation effort.

Not the best news to hear. I've heard that WSDOT is not keen on giving away signage, apparently because they want it to be recycled. I hope this isn't a case of that, since the last thing that sign needs to be is recycled into a new sign. Definitely glad to hear the space-age gantries will be preserved.

MOHAI would be a great place to relocate the sign. Someone ought to contact them to see if they might be interested in taking it in. Or, if the museum is made up of private collections, if one of the regular donors might be interested.

ErmineNotyours

Road by the entrance last evening, and noticed they have the interior illuminated already.  Though it looks like they have the possibility of illumination from tube-like structures too, possibly LED, the inside was orange/yellow from sodium vapor lights.  Why put in sodium vapor on a new install?  The sodium vapor lobby must have a tight grip on WSDOT because everyone else uses LED.  The concept artwork for the interior of the tunnel was color balanced as if lit by white LED.  (I had to work six months plus Christmases under sodium vapor when I worked for the United States Postal Service, so I have a particular hatred of them.) :banghead:

jakeroot

#417
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on August 12, 2018, 02:19:18 PM
Road by the entrance last evening, and noticed they have the interior illuminated already.  Though it looks like they have the possibility of illumination from tube-like structures too, possibly LED, the inside was orange/yellow from sodium vapor lights.  Why put in sodium vapor on a new install?  The sodium vapor lobby must have a tight grip on WSDOT because everyone else uses LED.  The concept artwork for the interior of the tunnel was color balanced as if lit by white LED.  (I had to work six months plus Christmases under sodium vapor when I worked for the United States Postal Service, so I have a particular hatred of them.) :banghead:

I noticed the lighting myself a few weeks ago. Looked really cool at night, but your concerns are nonetheless valid. They could be LEDs that were modified to look like sodium vapor, though. I've heard bright LEDs are not so great. Check out this thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=22927.0

LED signals are not particularly common here either. Compare this new signal in Oregon to this new signal in Washington. The Oregon signals are all LED, and appear the same color when not lit. Washington seems to use incandescent signals. Tacoma is the only place that I've seen with full LED signals, and it's only the signals with LED inserts or new wire-span signals, not new mast-arm installs.

ErmineNotyours

I remember on my trip to San Diego I saw much tube-shaped yellow street lighting there, as if they put a yellow filter on fluorescent lights to keep the bug attractions down.  I don't know why that's necessary in the tunnel.

TEG24601

Quote from: jakeroot on August 12, 2018, 05:47:26 PM
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on August 12, 2018, 02:19:18 PM
Road by the entrance last evening, and noticed they have the interior illuminated already.  Though it looks like they have the possibility of illumination from tube-like structures too, possibly LED, the inside was orange/yellow from sodium vapor lights.  Why put in sodium vapor on a new install?  The sodium vapor lobby must have a tight grip on WSDOT because everyone else uses LED.  The concept artwork for the interior of the tunnel was color balanced as if lit by white LED.  (I had to work six months plus Christmases under sodium vapor when I worked for the United States Postal Service, so I have a particular hatred of them.) :banghead:

I noticed the lighting myself a few weeks ago. Looked really cool at night, but your concerns are nonetheless valid. They could be LEDs that were modified to look like sodium vapor, though. I've heard bright LEDs are not so great. Check out this thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=22927.0

LED signals are not particularly common here either. Compare this new signal in Oregon to this new signal in Washington. The Oregon signals are all LED, and appear the same color when not lit. Washington seems to use incandescent signals. Tacoma is the only place that I've seen with full LED signals, and it's only the signals with LED inserts or new wire-span signals, not new mast-arm installs.


There are a lot of Washington installs that are LEDs.  Some are using colored drivers, others are using white, with colored lenses.
They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.

Duke87

Quote from: TEG24601 on August 20, 2018, 05:11:09 PM
There are a lot of Washington installs that are LEDs.  Some are using colored drivers, others are using white, with colored lenses.

It's not the driver that makes the color. It is a combination of the diodes and, if applicable, the phosphor placed over them. "White" LEDs are usually actually blue LEDs with a phosphor coating on the inside of the cap.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

jakeroot

Quote from: Duke87 on August 23, 2018, 09:08:24 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on August 20, 2018, 05:11:09 PM
There are a lot of Washington installs that are LEDs.  Some are using colored drivers, others are using white, with colored lenses.

It's not the driver that makes the color. It is a combination of the diodes and, if applicable, the phosphor placed over them. "White" LEDs are usually actually blue LEDs with a phosphor coating on the inside of the cap.

Either way, I've learned something new. Still wondering why some states do it the former way, and why some the latter. I see the former style (with the phosphor's placed over the cap?) far more often, but some cities and entire states seem to prefer the phosphor coating on the inside.

I'm pretty sure I prefer the latter "inner coating" method (just looks cleaner to me), but I don't suppose it makes any difference, functionally.

Bruce

Lanes have been striped in the tunnel, along with emergency markings.






jakeroot

#423
Interesting that raised-rib markings were used through the tunnel, despite the ample lighting and not-at-all murky conditions. Guess it doesn't hurt, and it's not really that surprising either, since WSDOT has been using this style just about everywhere at this point.

Alps

Whereas I find it interesting that they put the wide shoulder on the left instead of the right. I guess it corresponds to where they put the emergency exits.



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