Tunneling For Gold In Seattle

The Mayor wants to replace a dangerously old waterfront highway with a tunnel -- but could the effort actually make matters worse, especially for Pike Place Market?

1 minute read

February 27, 2006, 9:00 AM PST

By David Gest

It's "no secret that Mayor Greg Nickels and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) favor replacing the [Alaskan Way] viaduct with a tunnel, 'opening up the waterfront' to parks, condos, and new commercial development. According to Nickels, building the tunnel 'gives us the chance to transform the front door of our city into a spectacular public gathering place for generations to come.' At a press conference on a wet Monday morning just over a year ago, Nickelsâ€"wearing a bright-green button bearing the motto 'The Tunnelâ€"Dig It!' -- vowed to 'make our waterfront a cleaner, quieter, more beautiful place for all.'

However, the reality of the tunnel is much different from the vision Seattle is being sold. Instead of what most people probably imagineâ€"an underground structure extending the length of the waterfront, hidden from view by landscaping, parks, and new commercial developmentâ€"the mayor's tunnel plan also includes a new elevated viaduct and a six-lane surface highway."

FULL STORY: Greg Nickels's Secret Plan to Destroy Pike Place Market

Thursday, February 23, 2006 in The Seattle Stranger

Transportation Washington

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