Expect some added traffic on the Alaskan Way Viaduct over the next three weeks due to various SDOT lane closures.

For the next three weeks, SDOT crews will be closing one curb lane at a time on the Viaduct Monday to Friday in order to clean the curb lane areas and perform maintenance work. The southbound curb lane will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Monday, April 19 to Tuesday, April 27. The northbound curb lane will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Wednesday, April 28 to Friday, May 7.

Crews will also be closing the northbound, left-hand lane in the Battery Street Tunnel from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, and the northbound, right-hand lane from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 22 in order to complete work on the tunnel’s sprinkler system.

SDOT crews will be closing two of the three southbound lanes and the far left northbound lane of the Viaduct from 6 p.m. tonight, Monday, March 8, to 5 a.m. tomorrow in preparation for building an overhead “sign bridge” that will span the width of southbound SR 99 and hold an electronic message board. Drivers should expect delays at Ward St. just north of the Battery St. Tunnel.

This work is part of the Intelligent Transportation Systems project. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to bring more real-time traffic information to drivers on SR 99, and major routes leading to SR 99 in Seattle. The electronic message signs will provide drivers with traffic information such as construction closures, lane status and travel times.  Six new electronic message signs will be installed on SR 99 from the First Avenue S. Bridge to N. 137th Street.
Installing real-time traffic information systems now will help keep Seattle moving during construction to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct in the near future.

Crews will install the actual sign bridge in the spring.

For more information on the the SR 99 Intelligent Transportation Systems click here.

SDOT is closing the right-hand, southbound lane on the Alaskan Way Viaduct this week, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today, Monday, December 7 through Wednesday, December 9. The lane will be closed from S. Massachusetts St. to S. Holgate St., so that crews may repair a damaged railing. Look out for added traffic.

The Seattle Department of Transportation will be doing maintenance work on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, Battery Street Tunnel and SR 99 starting this weekend through next week. The northbound lanes of the Battery Street Tunnel will be closed from 10 p.m. on Saturday, November 14 to 6 a.m. on Sunday, November 15 so that SDOT crews can work on the fire suppression system in the tunnel. All northbound traffic with be redirected off the Viaduct at Western Ave.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, November 16 to Wednesday, November 18, the center, northbound lane on the Viaduct will be closed from Virginia St. to the Western Ave. off-ramp so that crews can replace a damaged crash cushion.

And from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 17 to Friday, November 20, the southbound lanes of SR 99 will be closed from Denny Way through the Battery Street Tunnel to just south of the Elliott Ave. on-ramp, while crews complete repairs to damaged railings.

Look out for added traffic!

The Seattle City Council agreed today to move forward with the Alaskan Way Viaduct deep bored tunnel and Seawall Replacement by unanimous vote, agreeing to a Memorandum of Agreement with the Washington Department of Transportation.

According to the press release, “The agreement authorized today outlines the city and state’s funding and construction responsibilities and outlines Seattle’s $927 million obligation to the project set for completion in 2018.” The Council is expected to act next year on proposed funding options, which could include “an increase in the Commercial Parking tax and a new Transportation Benefit District to collect vehicle license fees.”

Shortly after the council vote was announced, Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn responded to the decision with the champagne-beer analogy.

“I disagree with the decision. I disagree with the timing. But the reality is Mayor Nickels and the Council have entered into an agreement, and the City is now committed to the tunnel plan. If I’m elected Mayor, although I disagree with this decision, it will be my job to uphold and execute this agreement. It is not the Mayor’s job to withhold the cooperation of city government in executing this agreement,” McGinn said, stating that although he disagrees, he will continue to “ask the though questions” about where the money is coming from and where the financial burden will fall.

“I’m worried the people that want the tunnel have a champagne appetite and the City has a beer budget. The question is who will end up paying the tab,” he said.

Councilmember Nick Licata also made a post-announcement statement, in which he explained that did not believe this vote to be contractual.

“This agreement is policy statement, not a contract. I do not agree with certain elements of it, such as the intent to spend $150 million on the Mercer Project. But what is most important to me is providing a clear record that the city is not consenting to the provision of state law requiring Seattle-area property owners to pay for cost overruns,” he said. “I do not believe that in passing this agreement, the city of Seattle is agreeing to pay any cost overruns on the deep bore tunnel.”

The candidates for Port of Seattle are hosting a forum tomorrow night, Thursday, October 15 from 7-8:30 p.m. for community members to listen in and ask questions.

The top of the list of issues that will be discussed at the forum include the ongoing cruise ship controversy, airplane noise over Magnolia and parts of Queen Anne, and the deep bored tunnel proposed to replace the Viaduct.

The forum will be held in the cafeteria at Catherine Blaine Elementary, located at 2550 34th Ave W. It is being put on by the Magnolia Community Club, Queen Anne Community Council and the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce.

A reminder that Seattle, state and federal transportation officials have scheduled three meetings this week to share information about the proposal to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep-bore tunnel through downtown.  Here is the meeting schedule:

Downtown — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday June 8, Bertha Landes Room of Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave.
West Seattle — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, Madison Middle School, 3429 45th Ave. S.W.
Ballard — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 11, auditorium of Leif Erickson Hall, 2245 N.W. 57th St.

The Magnolia woman who is fighting plans to replace the viaduct with a deep bored tunnel was featured on KING 5 news. 

Elizabeth Campbell is the head of the Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Counciland says she will continue to use every weapon she can find to fight the tunnel. She thinks putting a four-lane highway underneath downtown Seattle will have taxpayers digging deep to pay for inevitable massive cost over-runs in the future.

“They’ll pay for it in lost time while they’re trying to get through the area,” she said. “They’ll pay for it if they get taxed for any of the overruns.”

Campbell believes that the tunnel will not carry enough traffic and it cuts off acess to Highway 99 from the northwest part of the city.

As we have reported, Campbell is gathering signatures and wants to have Seattle voters say yes or no to the deep tunnel. She says she’ll file lawsuits, challenge Environmental Impact Statements and even plans to run for mayor with the tunnel as her major issue.  Campbell tells KING 5 she has collected 3,000-4,000 signatures so far. She needs about 20,000 more and hopes to raise money to hire signature gatherers. 

See KING 5 story here.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has committed in writing to improving vehicle and freight access from Magnolia, Ballard and Queen Anne to the new deep-bored tunnel, according to a press release issued today by Reps. Mary Lou Dickersonand Reuven Carlyle. Nickels wrote that the city will work with WSDOT to improve traffic flow on N 46th St., N 39th St., Nickerson St., Dexter Ave. N, Mercer St. and West Mercer St. The city also said it would work to improve congestion at the north and south ends of the Aurora Bridge.

 “The major arterials within our community will need attention and we’re focused on ensuring the city is focused on the needs of residential and commercial traffic,” said Carlyle. Both representatives had asked the mayor for a formal letter expressing the city’s commitment on improving traffic flow to Seattle’s Northwest neighborhoods. As you know, tunnel access has been a hot topic on the west side of Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Ballard, most recently at a Magnolia Community Club meeting in February.

When the deep-bore tunnel option was selected to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct, the key issue for many residents in Northwest Seattle is access to and from our neighborhoods. At an open house last month, WSDOT provided this map outlining alternate routes.

On Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Ballard High School Auditorium, there will be a community forum to answer questions about how the deep-bore tunnel will affect Ballard. Among the questions to be addressed:

• How will residents in Queen Anne/Magnolia, Ballard, Wallingford and Fremont access points to the south and downtown?
• What kind of access will we have to the North end of the tunnel?
• Will trucks be able to use the tunnel or will they use surface streets?
• How will travel times through the corridor be affected?
• Why is an economic impact study so important to our decisions affecting the Alaskan Way Viaduct?

The audience will be able to ask questions of the panelists, which include representatives from WSDOT, City of Seattle, King County, and noted experts in the field of tunnel construction, economics, and traffic engineering.

More than 100 people attended an open house at Adam’s Elementary this evening to learn more about plans to replace the Viaduct with a deep bored tunnel. The open house was organized by representatives from WSDOT, the City of Seattle and King County, who answered plenty of questions.
Phinney Ridge resident Robert Douglas wanted to know how he’d be affected. “I use the viaduct all the time,” he tells us, “So I was kind of curious to see how it was going to impact me, obviously, and my traveling back and forth from here to Sea-Tac, to West Seattle, to other destinations I go to.” WSDOT provided this map explaining how Ballard, Queen Anne, and other North Seattle commuters will access the tunnel (see larger map in .pdf format).

Bob Powers, the Deputy Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation tells us that construction of the bored tunnel is expected to begin in 2011 and be open to drivers in 2015. Added transit service will begin in 2010, and the Spokane Street and Mercer Street projects are slated to be complete by 2012.

Also: City council OK’s funding to rebuild Mercer Street
Plus: WSDOT renderings of the tunnel | Video animation

Join WSDOT, King County and the City of Seattle for a public scoping open house and get a first look at information on the bored tunnel recommendation to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Scoping is a public process for determining the environmental issues that should be addressed in the proposed project’s environmental document.

The meeting will be held Feb. 23, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Adams Elementary School, 6110 28th Ave. NW, Seattle.  You will learn more about investments in the transportation system of a bored tunnel, city streets, and transit and the tunnel’s environmental process. The meetings will also feature information on accessing the tunnel from Northwest and West Seattle.  Public comment will be collected in writing or via court reporter.

More information is available at www.alaskanwayviaduct.org

Based on the number of comments our “Are you tunnel or anti-tunnel” generated, we know that the impact of the proposed viaduct tunnel is an important topic to Magnolia residents.  Governor Gregoire and city and state officials plan to replace the viaduct with a deep bored tunnel under downtown Seattle.

The Magnolia Community Club is hosting a public forum on Thursday (2/12) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to focus on what the tunnel means for transportation to and from Magnolia.  The event is scheduled for the Catherine Blaine school cafeteria.  Representatives from the Washington State Department of Transportation and the City of Seattle will be there. Councilperson Larry Phillips, who recently announced his candidacy for King County Executive, is also expected to attend.

Elizabeth Campbell, one of the founders of the Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council, has filed an initiative to block construction of the tunnel. She must collect at least 17,967 signatures by mid summer for the measure to be acted on by the City Council or submitted to a vote.

Magnolia resident Elizabeth Campbell ismoving ahead with an effort to stop the city from building a tunnel in favor of a new Viaduct. This week, she submitted her petition for an initiative, coincidentally designated Initiative 99. “This tunnel option is absurd,” explains Campbell on her website, YesViaduct.com. “(It) eliminates connections for the commuters and business drivers from Crown Hill, Ballard, Magnolia, and certain parts of Queen Anne. Over time, due to the tunnel’s design and traffic carrying constraints, over half of the now 115,000 people that use the Viaduct will no longer traverse through this portion of Seattle.” Campbell is now launching a petition effort: she has 180 days to collect 17,967 signatures. If she does, the city council can adopt Initiative 99 or put it to a public vote. Meanwhile, both state and city officialshave promised a deeper look at ways to lessen the impact of the tunnel on traffic to Ballard and surrounding neighborhoods. (Photo from YesViaduct.com).

Update: The governor made it official today: construction will begin on the $4.24 billion deep-bored tunnel in 2011, opening to drivers in 2015. And now the official reaction is coming in. “As representatives of the 36th Legislative District, we applaud this decisive action for how it will enhance the city and entire region,” said Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Rep. Reuven Carlyle in a joint statement. “We recognize work remains to be done in ensuring ample funding and full access for all areas of Magnolia, Queen Anne and Ballard, including our essential maritime, manufacturing and industrial sectors.”

But the issue is access, particularly for people in West Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Ballard. the Western Ave. (above) and Elliott Ave. ramps, which currently serve about one-third of the total Viaduct traffic and will be eliminated with the tunnel (the brown dotted line below).

As reported by the magnoliavoice.com, The Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council filed an initiative to block construction of the proposed underground tunnel to replace the viaduct. She will need to submit at least 17,967 signatures within 180 days for the measure to be acted on by the City Council or submitted to a vote.

Check myBallard.com for a complete update and links to a Face Sheet and video.

The Seattle Times reported Monday that the state and local governments have agreed to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel under downtown Seattle, Mayor Greg Nickels and Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dow Constantine confirmed today.

The state would cover the cost of the two-mile tunnel, with the city and county picking up the tab for surface-street and transit improvements. The total cost is expected to be around $4.25 billion, with the state’s share totaling $2.8 billion, according to a source close to Gov. Chris Gregoire. The city’s part of the deal would be just less than $1 billion, Nickels said. It would cover repairs to the sea wall, street improvements and possibly a streetcar line, he said.

The tunnel would be bored beneath the western edge of downtown, under First Avenue, which might allow the current viaduct to remain in use during tunnel construction.

What do you think about this decision?

Governor Christine Gregoire was due to make a decision on the Viaduct by the end of the year, but she has delayed the verdict until next month. “As a result of the continued overwhelming response and input on replacement options from stakeholders, we have asked our respective transportation teams to continue their review,” she said in a joint statement today with King County Executive Ron Sims and Mayor Greg Nickels. This isn’t the first delay, and some hope this could mean that the tunnel option may still be in play.

A view of the proposed elevated viaduct.

The debate about the I-99 viaduct and its future have been hotly debated over the last year.  What makes the most sense given the availability of funds from the State and other sources, current traffic patterns, neighborhood impacts, etc.?  For Queen Anne residents, the fate of the viaduct is extremely important.  You have another chance to express your opinion at a public meeting set for 5-7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle. More information is available atalaskanwayviaduct.org.

Following is an excerpt from our sister newsblog, MyBallard.com.  

In a highly-anticipated announcement, the state has narrowed down the eight options to replace the viaduct to two hybrid proposals:

1) The “surface and transit” plan with three northbound lanes on Western Avenue, three southbound lanes on Alaskan Way and improvements along I-5 through downtown (fact sheet and more images).

2) The “elevated bypass” plan which involves two elevated structures side-by-side with two lanes each (fact sheet and more images).

So what do you think?

The Viaduct Stakeholders Advisory Committee meeting will be held November 13 at Town Hall from 4:30 pm till 8:00 pm.  The agenda includes updates and presentations regarding more findings about the possible options for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s Central Waterfront section. Washington State Dept. of Transportation has created an excellent website resource for tracking all meetings and briefings related to this project.  

Town Hall is located at 1119 Eighth Avenue, Seattle.