Seattle is a Big Cit-tay now. We’s gonna get us our own Big Dig!
The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be replaced with a tunnel, Gov. Chris Gregoire will announce on Tuesday, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Senior Political Report Essex Porter said the office of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels confirmed that the governor, city, county and port have reached an agreement for replacing the aging roadway that was damaged in a 2001 earthquake.
The governor is scheduled to appear with Nickels, King County Executive Ron Sims and Port of Seattle officials at the World Trade Center at 8:30 a.m.
Earlier, Porter said all signs were pointing to a decision to go with a bored tunnel.
“The fact that the city, the county, the port and the governor’s office (are all) coming together, the fact that the business community is rallying around to provide business leaders to stand behind those political leaders in support” suggests a bored tunnel is very likely the decision, Porter said.
It will be a single-bore tunnel, meaning both sets of lanes will go through the same tunnel, with one set on top of the other.
Word has it that this project will take nine years, which means that it’ll be done in 2025, after all the haranguing and legal pretzel-making is done.
And as Seattle’s Mayors change during that time span, we’ll see who has been lining the right pockets and gets all that new, prime waterfront real estate after they knock down the old viaduct.
Also, now we know what Gregiore spoke about with the Obama folks on the plane to Iraq last weekend.
It’ll cost many times what is projected, take longer, and will offer no real benefit, aside from being prettier.
Sigh. Glad I don’t pay taxes in WA state or King county anymore.
Let’s see…
Huge tax increase in the middle of a recession – check.
Structure that will not only collapse, but flood – check.
Reduced traffic capacity leading to gridlock – check.
Reduced exits to downtown, leading to increased surface traffic and gridlock – check.
Ten years of construction on major downtown streets during a recession – check.
Reduced access for emergency workers and equipment in case of accidents or disasters – check.
Likely huge cost over-runs – check.
Must be a Nickels Plan.
http://nwfreethinker.blogspot.com/2009/01/nickels-gregoire-idiocy-big-dig-hurrah.html
Unless I’m mistaken, this project will be done in a manner similar to the creation of the Chunnel instead of the Big Dig.
Even *if* the tunnel is ever finished, the proposed plan does not allow large commercial vehicles to use it; they are too large. That means EVEN MORE congestion on Interstate 5 through Seattle… the *only* other option North-South that isn’t a surface street.
Speaking as someone who once drove deliveries daily throughout the Seattle area, this tunnel will be a disaster for years.
Nickels is really working on a great legacy for himself.