Sunday, August 15, 2021

August 8, 2021 - Then and Now - Alaska Way

 















The transformation of the Seattle waterfront has been pretty dramatic.  The removal of the double decker Alaskan Way Viaduct and replacement with an underground tunnel has removed the arterial gash that separated downtown from the waterfront.  Development is proceeding and the transformation will only continue.

December 2017 (above) and April 2019 (below)

In April 2019 the viaduct was in the process of being torn down and the $3.3 billion, 2 mile tunnel underneath downtown, the longest road tunnel in the contiguous United States, had opened. 















Today (below) Alaska Way is more open and the development where the viaduct used to be is progressing.  




Below is a July 2016 southbound view from one of the 90,000 vehicles, that utilized the viaduct until its closure in January of 2019.  The view was often scenic, but it was hard not to think about when the next seismic event would suddenly bring it down. 









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