An American flag flies above the last piece of the SR 99 tunneling machine as it is lifted out of the disassembly pit near Seattle Center.

The double-deck viaduct along the Seattle Waterfront will be demolished to make way for a new surface street and new public spaces

The Alaskan Way Viaduct, an elevated section of State Route 99 in Seattle, was built in the 1950s, and decades of daily wear and tear have taken their toll on the structure. Because of the viaduct’s age and vulnerability to earthquakes, replacing it is critical to public safety.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program will change how people use SR 99 in Seattle. A new, tolled tunnel will provide a direct route for bypassing downtown Seattle. Ramps near the stadiums at the tunnel’s south end will connect to SODO and downtown. At the tunnel’s north end, John, Thomas and Harrison streets will be reconnected, improving east-west travel in the area while providing on and off-ramps to SR 99.

After the SR 99 tunnel opens, the viaduct will be demolished and the City of Seattle will build a new waterfront Alaskan Way surface street linking the tunnel’s south end with the waterfront and downtown.

Americans with Disabilities Act & Title VI information

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information: This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing the WSDOT Diversity/ADA Affairs team at wsdotada@wsdot.wa.gov or by calling toll free, 855-362-4ADA (4232). Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may make a request by calling the Washington State Relay at 711.Title VI: It is the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its federally funded programs and activities. Any person who believes his/her Title VI protection has been violated, may file a complaint with WSDOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). For additional information regarding Title VI complaint procedures and/or information regarding our non-discrimination obligations, please contact OEO’s Title VI Coordinator at (360) 705-7082.

For more information

The program at a glance

Visit the website at www.AlaskanWayViaduct.orgCall the hotline at 1-888-AWV-LINESend an email to viaduct@wsdot.wa.govFollow on Twitter: @BerthaDigsSR99

Send a letter to:Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement ProgramWashington State Department of Transportation999 Third Ave., Suite 2200Seattle, WA 98104

• Removing the Alaskan Way Viaduct will clear the way for new public space on Seattle’s downtown waterfront.

• Since breaking ground on our first viaduct-related project in 2007, we have successfully completed 24 projects that were led or funded by the state.

• Construction of the largest project – the SR 99 tunnel – began in 2011. Tunneling beneath Seattle minimizes traffic disruptions while we replace the viaduct.

• The tunneling machine “Bertha” finished mining in April 2017. Disassembly of the machine was completed in August 2017.

• The major work remaining before the tunnel opens to traffic is building and testing the highway and critical systems inside the tunnel and connecting SR 99 to the tunnel at both ends.

• The program is preparing for viaduct demolition, scheduled to begin in early 2019.

Alaskan Way Viaduct REPLACEMENT

PROGRAM

October 2017

Building a new State Route 99 through Seattle

Looking ahead to viaduct demolitionWhen the SR 99 tunnel is ready for traffic, the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be permanently closed. During the closure, crews will build road and ramp connections to connect SR 99 to the new tunnel at both ends. Then the tunnel will open, and the big job of demolishing the viaduct will begin.

Demolishing the viaduct is expected to take up to nine months. It will be done in phases to minimize disruption to nearby buildings and roads. The work will also involve shifting Alaskan Way to the west so it’s not beneath the structure and can remain open for most of demolition.

WSDOT will select a contractor in early 2018. The contractor will determine the methods of demolition, but the contract will include many stipulations, such as maintaining continuous access to Colman Dock, limiting road closures, minimizing dust and vibration, and protecting buildings and utilities.

Want more information about viaduct demolition?Send an email to viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov and ask to receive updates on demolition.

You will receive the latest information about viaduct demolition as more information becomes available.

Above the southbound roadway deck of the SR 99 tunnel, a Seattle Tunnel Partners worker drills holes for anchors that will support fireproofing hardware and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in the tunnel’s circular outer wall.

This photo shows the SR 99 tunneling machine disassembly at 90 percent completion in early August.

Looking north from the southbound (upper deck) of the SR 99 tunnel underneath the intersection of Alaskan Way South and South Jackson Street. Here, crews are installing fireproofing in the circular outer wall of the tunnel.

South end of the tunnelIn fall 2017, drivers on SR 99 snake their way around the future on- and off-ramps to the SR 99 tunnel. In the middle of the south portal, the future northbound off-ramp has been built, featuring innovative columns designed to bend in an earthquake without breaking.

With tunneling complete, crews are building the tunnel inside the former launch pit area and disassembling the apparatus that supported the tunneling machine. Before the tunnel opens, crews will build new roads to connect the current SR 99 lanes to the tunnel’s entrance and exit ramps.

2 - FHWA / WSDOT / King County / Port of Seattle / City of Seattle FHWA / WSDOT / King County / Port of Seattle / City of Seattle - 3

North end of the tunnelThe north end of the tunnel looks very similar to how the area will look when the tunnel opens. Remaining work involves connecting the now-completed on- and off-ramps to the tunnel, which will happen shortly before the tunnel opens to traffic.

Later, crews will reconnect John, Thomas and Harrison streets across what today is SR 99, improving east-west connections in the neighborhood.

Crews build the lid over the southbound (upper deck) of the tunnel at the south end of the SR 99 tunnel.

This July 2017 photo shows progress on the future southbound SR 99 lanes inside the pit where crews assembled the SR 99 tunneling machine. Crews are building the southbound deck on top of the northbound lanes.

Curing blankets cover a section of the future southbound SR 99 roadway. The blankets help keep recently poured roadway concrete moist, allowing it to develop the strength and durability needed to withstand the pounding of freeway traffic.

C O L O R A D O A V E N U E S C O L O R A D O A V E N U E S

Te r m i n a l 4 6

H a r b o r I s l a n d

C o l m a n D o c k

B N S F / S I GR a i l y a r d

W h a t c o m R a i l y a r d

SR 99 tunnel

Connection to Elliott and Western avenues

Phase 1: Elliott Bay Seawall Project

Waterfront Seattle

Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project (completed in 2012)

South end (completed in 2012)

South Atlantic Street overpass (completed in 2014)

North end

Mercer Corridor Project (completed in 2016)

New Alaskan Way

LEGEND WSDOT City of Seattle

Funding the programThe state is responsible for leading or funding 30 of the projects that will function together to reshape the SR 99 corridor. The state’s legislatively approved budget for the viaduct replacement projects is $3.2 billion. Funding comes from state, federal and local sources, as well as the Port of Seattle and tolls. Of that amount, approximately $2.1 billion is allocated to the SR 99 Tunnel Project.

Major elements of the program:• A two-mile-long tunnel beneath downtown Seattle

(in construction).• A mile-long stretch of new SR 99 highway south of the

future tunnel (complete).• A new Alaskan Way surface street connecting the southern

end of SR 99 to downtown Seattle (in design).• A new overpass south of downtown that allows traffic to

bypass train blockages near the Port of Seattle (complete).• Demolition of the remainder of the viaduct (in design).

The tunnel’s south portal in August 2017. The tunnel’s north end in June 2017.