Folks should stop worrying about the Alaskan Way Viaduct collapsing. That's ridiculous. It's not going to collapse. It's going to tip over.
— Goldy (@GoldyHA) December 9, 2014
If you think some folks have been too alarmist over the news that the Alaskan Way Viaduct has “settled” a mere 1.2 inches in the vicinity of the Bertha rescue pit, then you’re probably not familiar with the Viaduct’s prior history of settling. Several segments of the aging freeway have long been settling unevenly—specifically, the structure is slowly toppling over onto the waterfront. The more the freeway leans, the more its high center of gravity accelerates the process—and the more vulnerable it becomes to even a modest quake.
Which is why SDOT and WSDOT need to focus now on engineering the Viaduct’s surface street replacement. Really.
The main selling point of a deep bore tunnel was that it would allow the Viaduct to remain open to traffic while its replacement was built, but the long delay, future uncertainty, and recent ground settling leaves that objective in doubt. The Viaduct could be deemed unsafe at any moment. So since we’re going to tear down the Viaduct and replace it with surface streets eventually, it would be prudent to finalize the design, engineering, and logistics as quickly as possible. That way, whatever becomes of Bertha, we would be prepared to tear down the Viaduct and replace it with surface streets with the least disruption we can manage.
Seriously. Whatever the odds, the sudden and permanent closure of the Viaduct is not a far-fetched scenario. And we would be crazy not to prepare for it.
Perhaps they’ll manage to get Bertha moving again, and perhaps the Viaduct will survive the tunnel’s construction. That would be great. But the prudent course of action would be to assume that it won’t, and move forward with its surface replacement with all due speed.
“It’s not going to collapse. It’s going to tip over.”
Can you quote someone who actually knows WTF they’re talking about?
All right! Let’s spin up the vaunted Seattle Process and come up with a solution in 5 – 10 years that nobody’s happy with.
Whatever happened to Cary Moon, the local landscape architect who was advocating for a “surface alternative” several years ago? She was leading that effort through the People’s Waterfront Coalition, but their website no longer exists. Now that history is beginning to prove her correct, she needs to resurface and re-engage
This suggestion is so sensible there isn’t a chance in hell it will be adopted.
https://web.archive.org/web/20061102072221/http://www.peopleswaterfront.org/vision_opportunity.html
It’s still in archive.org
Thanks, Better; the People’s Waterfront Coalition may still be findable in web archives, but that doesn’t detract from my point — the organization is no longer active.
This is disappointing because in times like these, ordinary people need a platform to engage in the discussion about the future of the waterfront, tunnel or no tunnel.
What was the name of that long ago Seattle Mayor who was against the tunnel?
“Which is why SDOT and WSDOT need to focus now on engineering the Viaduct’s surface street replacement. Really.”
As you pretend to be a journalist, Goldy, I see no problem with you also pretending to be an engineer.
@ 8
Just don’t pretend to be a cabbie.
I thought with uber anyone could pretend to be a citizen cabbie.
@9 Or a radiologist.
I believe that the lidded trench was the way to go. No new technology required.
For $1 billion, the state could buy everyone in Seattle a very nice bicycle and convert the viaduct as it stands now to a 100% dedicated bike freeway. As bikes have negligible impact on the environment and help traffic flows, anyone who previously used the viaduct would either bike to their destination or use a bus on the surface streets (like they would need to do in a post-viaduct, tunnel world).
Obviously, surface streets exist and bike lanes solve most traffic problems so this will work.
“bike lanes solve most traffic problems so this will work.”
Replace a state highway with bikes for Seattle residents??
I say lets replace the Viaduct with an Aquaduct, we could be like Venice.
“But the prudent course of action would be…”
Ha ha ha like any of the powers that be have done anything close to prudent when it comes to the replacing the Alaska Way Viaduct. At what point will the DOT, Gov’s office and Seattle City Council finally decide to stop the madness and pull the plug on this disaster of a project? I thought the whole reason Seattle had to accept the tunnel option sooner than later was that lives were at risk! The viaduct was about to collapse! We Cannot Wait Any Longer! Dig the tunnel NOW or people will die! Where’s the urgency now? If the Viaduct were to tip over, collapse, whatever, and if anyone dies, I say we haul Christine Gregoire, Ed Murray, Tom Rasmussen and the rest the sorry asses responsible for the tunnel to court to be tried for murder.
@15…
Wasn’t this jerk the dumbass character on “Saved By The Bell”?
@ 16
Now there’s a candidate for ‘Comment deleted.’.
“I say we haul Christine Gregoire, Ed Murray, Tom Rasmussen and the rest the sorry asses responsible for the tunnel to court to be tried for murder.”
Ask the government to give you a bike. You can ride it on the waterfront bike freeway. Problem solved!
@17…
Oh hi ‘Bob.’
Get stuffed.
The alternative Box Cut-Cover/Tunnel/Seawall in the FEIS document was ready for public review in 2006, but was kept under wraps until 2009. Many other cut/cover tunnel options, before and after the 2007 voter referendum (including the Lidded Trench) were studied though they all required complete removal of the AWV beforehand and were thus “more disruptive” to build. Wsdot was gambling voters would approve their elevated viaduct replacement monstrosity by concealling the ‘least disruptive’ cut/cover tunnel option. Wsdot and Sdot rigged the studies AND the 2007 voter referendum.
The Box Cut-Cover Tunnel/Seawall is still possible. The completed 1000′ segment of bore tunnel can be directed to this cut-cover/seawall portal and finish near Pike. This tunnel option displaces the least traffic onto surface streets and maintains existing access on Western/Elliott in Lower Belltown, a suitably ‘commercial’ corridor, rather than redirect traffic through ‘residential’ Queen Anne on Mercer Street and ‘dangerously steep’ Mercer Place hill.
Lastly, The Box Cut-Cover Tunnel/Seawall provides a sturdy seawall, a veritable earthquake barrier, and the means to sensibly monitor and control groundwater flows. The proposed seawall replacement (drill-fill sea fence) will compound the hazards of settling that existing and increased groundwaters present to vulnerable buildings above the entire length of the bore tunnel. If the bore tunnel is completed, Seattle will lose the waterfront and everything west of 4th Ave. At this point, I want to say “Good riddance!”, but there must be some good people in Seattle, somewhere, hiding, keeping their mouths shut, deserve better.