By: Bryan Johnson
KOMO 4 TV
December 31, 2008
This segment on the momentum for an inland deep bored tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct on Seattle's downtown waterfront aired on the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. news on KOMO 4 TV Seattle, the city's ABC network affiliate. Among those interviewed are Cascadia Center's Director Bruce Agnew, and Bob Donegan, CEO of Ivar's, Inc.
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TRANSCRIPT
ANCHOR: If you expected a decision today on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, it won't happen. Despite all the promises from the politicians, 2008 will end with yet another decision delayed. KOMO 4's Bryan Johnson tried to find out why.
BRYAN JOHNSON: "Everyone knows the viaduct is sinking inch by inch into the less than solid soil of the Seattle waterfront. The governor and mayor promised a replacement plan by December 31st, today. Didn't happen. We caught up with the mayor at a snow news conference. What about the viaduct, Mr. Mayor?
(Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels declines to answer reporters' questions on viaduct at end of news conference on city's snowstorm response).
BRYAN JOHNSON: "The governor? Unavailable. But back in October, she said....."
WASHINGTON GOV. CHRIS GREGOIRE: "You do not dictate, to this area, what they're going to get. Because they'll just stand in the middle of the road and block it."
BRYAN JOHNSON: "So guess who's standing in the middle of the road? The downtown business community."
BOB DONEGAN, CEO, IVAR'S: "If you take the viaduct down without a replacement, it costs $3.4 billion dollars in lost annual economic output."
BRYAN JOHNSON: "That's a lot!"
BOB DONEGAN: "It's a huge amount."
BRYAN JOHNSON: So the business came up with another plan - a tunnel under 2nd Avenue. They point to the bus tunnel under Third as proof it can be done."
BRUCE AGNEW, DIRECTOR, CASCADIA CENTER AT DISCOVERY INSTITUTE: "The beauty of the deep bore tunnel is that the Viaduct can remain standing while you are drilling the deep bore tunnel, so you don’t run into two or three years of shutting down waterfront businesses."
BRYAN JOHNSON: "If you worry that a tunnel would cost more and increase your taxes, the business community says, 'not true.' They told the governor and mayor.....
BOB DONEGAN: "...cap your contribution at $2.8 billion, as you've promised. We'll find ways to make up any deficit on top of that."
BRYAN JOHNSON: 'Those asking for a deep tunnel alternative to this viaduct say they're not asking for a huge delay, they plan on having numbers for the legislature in January. Bryan Johnson, KOMO 4 News."
ANCHOR: "The Cascadia Center tells us their preliminary estimate of the cost of a tunnel is between $1.5 and $2 billion dollars. They promise better numbers within two weeks."
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More on costs and financing here.
