By: Larry Lange
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
September 11, 2004
Original Article
Closing the Alaskan Way Viaduct while its replacement is built could save 2 1/2 years in building time and up to $500 million in construction costs, but a study released yesterday says the disruption could badly snarl traffic even if large numbers of commuters took transit.
The study, responding to concerns of downtown businesses, said completely closing the viaduct during construction would create eight more hours of peak congestion on downtown streets daily by 2010 with construction under way. It would add six more hours of congestion each day on Interstate 5.
Partially closing it would add two more hours of commuting-hour congestion on downtown streets and four more hours a day on I-5.
The impact "is going to be significant," said Maureen Sullivan, viaduct project manager for the state Department of Transportation.
The study defines a partial closure as one that would keep two lanes of north-south traffic on the viaduct or a parallel detour during construction. It said a partial closure would force about 23,000 vehicle trips a day to be taken elsewhere. A full closure, it said, would displace 49,000 trips per day. The viaduct now handles about 110,000 vehicle trips per weekday.
The study has several implications, officials and others said:
Seattle's proposed Center City Access Strategy, a program of improvements designed to speed traffic through downtown streets in the event of a viaduct closure, may have to be re-examined. Patrice Gillespie Smith, staff chief at the city Transportation Department, said the study shows closing the viaduct would have greater effects than initially thought and "it's going to make us study these things even more."
In the city's view the study makes one alternative -- removing the viaduct and not replacing it with any roadway -- look "very doubtful," Smith said. But Cary Moon, co-chairwoman of the group advocating no replacement of the viaduct, said the study focused on preserving the highway and didn't consider other priorities -- opening up the waterfront, reducing car trips and cleaning the air.
A complete closure, while more painful during construction, may be better in the long run, said Peter Hurley, director of the Transportation Choices Coalition. The study said a complete closure would reduce the construction time up to 2 1/2 years compared with partial closure. "Doing the math, there's about 15 percent less traffic pain under the (complete closure) alternative than under the partially open alternative."
Rebuilding the viaduct with an elevated structure still looks better to people who oppose a tunnel, said Gene Hoglund, a Magnolia resident leading an effort for an elevated structure. "It can be done in sections. They wouldn't have to shut down everything."
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P-I reporter Larry Lange can be reached at 206-448-8313 or larrylange@seattlepi.com
