What happened to the Alaskan Way Viaduct?
What happened to the Alaskan Way Viaduct?
Bye, viaduct! The Alaskan Way Viaduct is officially gone forever after a months-long demolition process. Removing the elevated highway has been in the works for a long time—but it can still seem like it came down overnight.
Why did the Seattle viaduct collapse?
SEATTLE — The warning about the earthquake vulnerability of Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct came on the afternoon of October 17, 1989. Only the earthquake wasn’t in Washington it was in northern California. The quake caused a similar double deck concrete freeway to collapse onto traffic in Oakland.
When did the Alaskan Way Viaduct close?
The new tunnel, beleaguered by construction delays, eventually opened to traffic on February 4, 2019, more than three years behind the original schedule. With the new tunnel nearly complete, the Alaskan Way Viaduct was permantely closed on February 1, 2019.
How much did the SR 99 tunnel cost?
The viaduct and tunnel cost $18 million to construct (equivalent to $139 million in 2019 dollars) and severed the waterfront from the rest of downtown. The viaduct remained the primary north–south highway in Downtown Seattle until the construction of Interstate 5 (I-5) in the late 1960s.
Where is the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle?
The Alaskan Way Viaduct, looking southeast from Victor Steinbrueck Park. The Alaskan Way Viaduct seen from Elliott Bay. The Alaskan Way Viaduct was a double-decker freeway that traveled through Downtown Seattle and SoDo along the western waterfront facing Elliott Bay.
What will happen to the viaduct after the replacement tunnel?
Starting in January 2019, following the opening of the replacement tunnel, the viaduct will be demolished over the following months to make way for new development along the waterfront in downtown Seattle.
What is the daily traffic on the viaduct?
Traffic volumes on the viaduct, measured by WSDOT in terms of average annual daily traffic in 2015, averaged approximately 91,000 vehicles south of Columbia Street and 71,000 vehicles between Columbia Street and Western Avenue. The viaduct formerly carried an average daily volume of 110,000 vehicles until the start of demolition in 2011.
When was the viaduct built in San Francisco?
Construction on the viaduct began in February 1950 and was completed in stages between 1953 and 1959. The central portion, from Railroad Way to Elliott Avenue, opened on April 4, 1953. It was connected to the Battery Street Tunnel the following year and a series of offramps and onramps to downtown in the 1960s.
