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Deep Bored Tunnel To Replace Alaskan Way Viaduct – Latest Information

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and King County Executive Ron Sims in January 2009 proposed to replace the seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct along Seattle's downtown waterfront on State Route 99 with an inland deep bored tunnel. Legislation authorizing and providing substantial funding for the tunnel passed the state senate and house, and on May 12 was signed into law by Gov. Gregoire. The tunnel is expected to cost $1.2 to $2.2 billion, most likely $1.9 billion, including a cushion for cost overruns. The legislation provides $2.8 billion for tunnel construction and Viaduct replacement. Other, related projects - funded by the city, county and Port of Seattle - would bring the total package's cost to $4.2 billion.  Here is the bill, as approved. Links to media coverage and key documents follow. Deep Bored Tunnel Bill Signed Into Law: News Round-up, 5/13/09 Tunnel FAQs, Cascadia Center House OKs SR 99 Tunnel - News & Commentary, 4/22-24/09 Yakima Valley Fruit Growers Support Deep Bore Tunnel, KIRO-AM & Seattle P-I, 4/13/09 "Deep Bore Tunnel Is Best Replacement Option," Yakima Herald-Republic, 4/12/09 99 Corridor Coalition Bored Tunnel Program Update, 3/26/09 "The Time Has Come To Replace Viaduct With Tunnel, Seattle Times, 3/26/09 "Officials Give Viaduct Replacement Details To Ballard Residents," Seattle P-I, 3/23/09 "Expert: Viaduct Bored Tunnel Would Be World Class Project," Seattle P-I, 3/20/09 "Senate Passes Bill To Replace Viaduct With Tunnel," Seattle Times, 3/4/09 SR 99 Deep Bored Tunnel Project Fact Sheets And Maps, Washington State Department Of Transportation, 2/24/09 "WSDOT: Deep Bored Tunnel Would Be Safer In Earthquake," KOMO-AM 1000, 1/31/09 WSDOT: No Comparison Between Boston's "Big Dig" And SR 99 Tunnel, Tacoma News Tribune, 1/26/09 "The Viaduct Decision's Next Step: Tolling," Crosscut, 1/20/09 Deep Bored Tunnel Chosen: Jan.13-16 Media & Govt. Links (Radio, TV, Newspapers, State of WA, more) - includes Cascadia statement More here.   Read More ›

What’s Needed Is A Third Option for The Viaduct

This article, published by Seattle PI, mentions the Cascadia Center of Discovery Institute: By contrast, experts consulted by The Cascadia Center of the Discovery Institute have filled my e-mail box with analyses that an inland tunnel option would cost $1.7 billion at most. The rest of the article can be found here.

We are in Deep Viaduct

The state-led waterfront project team has told Seattle it must choose between erection of a new, even wider Alaskan Way Viaduct, or (what’s called the “all surface” option) letting city streets absorb a huge stream of trucks and cars that now use the elevated freeway. Some choice. By ignoring the superior economic, financial, transportation, environmental, and aesthetic benefits of a Read More ›

Congress Passes Landmark Slavery Act

Late on Wednesday evening, Congress (FINALLY!) passed the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act and by unanimous consent. It sounds like an easy achievement, but behind that unanimous consent lies the fact that this bill took two years to hammer out. Bureaucratic opposition was strong and yet almost mute. Neither side got all it wanted, but the end result appears Read More ›

Viaduct Decision Day Is Here

This article, published by Crosscut, quotes from Matt Rosenberg of Discovery Institute: In this post from the tunnel advocates at Discovery Institute’s Cascadia Center, Matt Rosenberg writes: “The Viaduct decision needs to be part of a broader regional plan for time-variable tolling. …” The rest of the article can be found here.

And then there were 2: State picks viaduct replacement finalists

This article, published by The Seattle Times, mentions the Cascadia Center of Discovery Institute: The Discovery Institute’s Cascadia Center has pushed for a bored-tunnel option, just inland from the Elliott Bay shore, that would keep the viaduct in place during construction. The rest of the article can be found here.

Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement, Cascadia AM Radio Coverage

These two radio segments respectively mention a study done by the Cascadia Center of Discovery Institute and contain an interview with Discovery Institute Fellow Bruce Agnew. The first segment ran at approx. 6:03 p.m., Monday, Dec. 8, 2008. (Mp3 audio file of full segment). The second version aired during afternoon drive, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2009. (partial .wav audio file).

Ghosts, Aliens and Us

When my wife and I had our twin baby boys circumcised in our home last year, the Hasidic rabbi who performed the bris left us with a surprising parting gift: an amulet for protection against demons. It was a laminated card printed with Hebrew texts including imprecations against Lilith, a female demon of the night. Alluded to in the Hebrew Read More ›