Alaskan Way Viaduct Demolition

[Dougtone]

I came across some photos on Flickr chronicling the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle.  The viaduct will be replaced with a tunnel carrying WA 99.

Flickr photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157627791345493/
Project info from WSDOT - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR99/Tunnel/ and http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Current_Work.htm

[OCGuy81]

Great photos and information!  Kind of sad.  I remember seeing that in Seattle, and wanted to drive the top deck of that, thinking it'd provide cool views of the sound. 

[triplemultiplex]

Good riddance.  I know it's easy to judge the decision to build a double deck freeway through there in hindsight.  I doubt Seattle's waterfront was anywhere near as cool at the time of the viaduct's construction as it is now.  Our cities are riddled with once derelict, polluted waterfronts that have since been cleaned up and gentrified. (Hell, I can see one from my window.) But still, it seems like a failure to plan for the future.

The importance of Alaska Way to Seattle's traffic isn't immediately obvious when looking at a map, but I've got to think it keeps a lot of vehicles off of I-5.  So to give it the "ol' Embarcadero" was ultimately a pipe dream.  The tunnel was the way to go.

It sure costs a lot to undo a bad decision, though.

[mgk920]

Good riddance.  I know it's easy to judge the decision to build a double deck freeway through there in hindsight.  I doubt Seattle's waterfront was anywhere near as cool at the time of the viaduct's construction as it is now.  Our cities are riddled with once derelict, polluted waterfronts that have since been cleaned up and gentrified. (Hell, I can see one from my window.) But still, it seems like a failure to plan for the future.

The importance of Alaska Way to Seattle's traffic isn't immediately obvious when looking at a map, but I've got to think it keeps a lot of vehicles off of I-5.  So to give it the "ol' Embarcadero" was ultimately a pipe dream.  The tunnel was the way to go.

It sure costs a lot to undo a bad decision, though.

Alaskan Way also had ghost ramp stubs that were where I-90 was originally planned to end, but the interstate was ultimately ended by the two stadia a couple of blocks to the east.

Agreed, Alaskan Way served its purpose, but it is time to move on to newer and better.

Mike

[Alex]

Alaskan Way also had ghost ramp stubs that were where I-90 was originally planned to end, but the interstate was ultimately ended by the two stadia a couple of blocks to the east.

You can see one of the stubs being demolished in this photo (looks south): http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/6284077342/in/set-72157627791345493

I have some of them posted on our WA-99 guides:
https://www.aaroads.com/west/washington099/wa-099_nb_exit_008_09.jpg
https://www.aaroads.com/west/washington099/wa-099_sb_exit_006_03.jpg
https://www.aaroads.com/west/washington099/wa-099_sb_exit_006_02.jpg

The latest Bing aerials show construction to the west of the Viaduct and a new surface roadway (temporary?) to the east for Alaskan Way traffic.