Plan ahead for the closure of the Viaduct starting October 21 (h/t).
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close the majority of the Alaskan Way Viaduct at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 21 until 5 a.m. Monday, October 31.
During the closure, crews will tear down large sections of the southern mile of the viaduct, and complete temporary connections to a new SR 99 bridge currently under construction on the west side of the viaduct in SODO. Also, the northbound viaduct between the South Royal Brougham Way on-ramp and the Battery Street Tunnel will open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and for special events at CenturyLink Field, but closed other times.
Drivers are encouraged to consider alternatives to their normal commute. WSDOT suggests the following options: carpooling, vanpooling riding the bus, water taxi, train or light rail; working from home or adjusting work schedules; checking traffic conditions before hitting the roads; using alternate routes where possible; delaying or combining trips.
Personally, I encourage carpooling, vanpooling riding the bus, water taxi, train or light rail even on days when the Viaduct is working fine.
My prediction: Most news outlets won’t cover it much until a week ahead and then will be like OHMYGOD!!!!!!!!!!! for a solid week. Then traffic is a little worse downtown but not much. But like I-5 a few years ago, or I-405 in LA, people will adjust and be fine.
So if they tear down the viaduct, and nothing disastrous happens to traffic, how about they just stop and not rebuild it?
@1
That would seem the logical thing to do.
Yawn. My morning commute consists of hopping a few feet from my bed to squat in the chair in front of my computer terminal to see how my stocks are doing, then hopping back to bed. Air-polluting emissions: Zero. Amount spent on expensive gasoline made from imported oil that supports dictators and terrorists: Zero. Boss and co-worker hassles: None. Effort required: None. Best way to make a living there is, except pushing the same money in endless closed-loop circles doesn’t contribue a damn thing to the economy. But then, what Republicans do, doesn’t either.
Let me guess, you don’t commute from West Seattle. Been paying attention to traffic now that school is back in and everyone’s back from vacation? It’s been horrifying on the West Seattle Bridge and all alternate routes, and this is just with one lane closed on the viaduct.
Those ten days will see gridlock out of West Seattle. Working from home won’t be an option, it will be the only way to get anything done before 11am. And busses already take three hours round trip. I’m screwed no matter what I do.
@bnw- careful, you’ve just hit my monorail tic. West Seattle – Ballard, shoulda been done by now.
How close is the West Seattle Bridge from going all Minneapolis and crumbling?
@4 I sincerely apologize for forcing you to live in one place and work in another place, with only a major highway built with public dollars in between. I promise not to do it again.
@7
Well that goes for about 90% of thepeople who live in the seattle tacoma everett area…so your point is?
Just so ya know.