With mixed feelings from Ballard residents about the plans to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a bored tunnel, an open house last night showed alternatives to those worried about the closure of the Western Avenue exit off the viaduct toward Northwest Seattle once the tunnel is built.

By replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct, Washington and Seattle department of transportations, King County and the city of Seattle have created new ways to travel through northwest Seattle with the SR 99 Bored Tunnel and new Alaskan Way Boulevard.

“For me it’s all about access and there’s a lot of discussion about that here tonight,” said a Ballard resident. “The alternatives don’t seem to be fantastic but on the whole I think the bored tunnel is a good option because it keeps things open. It’s a series of tradeoffs.”

Access to the tunnel will be from Aurora Avenue North, which will transition from a surface highway to the bored tunnel between Mercer Street and Denny Way, replacing the current route via the Battery Street Tunnel and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. At the Mercer Corridor, access to Aurora Avenue North and the bored tunnel will be provided in all directions.

“There are a number of alternatives we’re providing for those heading north on SR-99,” said Bob Powers with Seattle Department of Transportation. “There will be full access at the Mercer Corridor, not necessarily right at Mercer but somewhere along that corridor. There you’ll be able to get on and off the tunnel and that ties in very nicely to two-way Mercer, which we’re converting all the way from I-5 to Elliot.”

The city council approved the remaining funds for the Mercer Corridor project yesterday. The project will create a two-way Mercer Street complete with vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements as well as a tree-lined median and on-street parking. The changes are aimed at increasing walkability and safety along a narrower Valley Street, improving freight access to the Ballard and Interbay neighborhoods, according to the city.

“In addition to what’s shown on the other route is that coming from Ballard you can still stay on 15th and Elliot, where we are putting in a brand new four lane boulevard along the waterfront,” said Powers.

The street will be a new connection linking Elliott/Western to Alaskan Way with a bridge over the railroad tracks. It will have two-lanes in each direction plus left-turn lanes. There will be three lanes in each direction south of Columbia Street and near South Royal Brougham Way a ramp will provide direct access to southbound SR-99.

“Really the access is very similar to what it is today.” said Powers.

Andy and Tammy James, both Ballard residents and business owners of Ye Old Curiosity Shop on the waterfront, said they were thrilled by the plans.

“It’s the best option as far as we’re concerned, for the city and for the disruption to the city to get the viaduct off the waterfront,” said Andy.

“We use that (Western Avenue) exit when we’re on the viaduct but if you can have your cake and eat it too it would be nice to have it but if it’s one or the other I’d go for the bored tunnel,” said Tammy.

By owning a business on the waterfront for years, the James’ said they have had a feeling of how much better the waterfront can be and how much potential it can have by opening up the area.

“Getting the road and traffic off the street and underground and having the space open up for people will be a really great thing for Seattle,” said Tammy.

However, even with alternative options of travel some Ballard residents are still upset with how much the city may be spending on the bored tunnel project.

One Ballard resident said it would be too cost inefficient. With all the traffic down, four lanes on the waterfront, the pedestrians and parks, he said it just wouldn’t work.

Suzie Burke, Fremont property owner and Ballard resident agreed and said that going back to the day when they had used Alaskan Way will not make a good truck route and won’t make a better route today.

“The worse thing about everything I see around me here is that this is not an improvement and how much money will we spend for a non-improvement,” Burke said. “We actually have better mobility today with what we have than what’s being proposed here after spending $5 billion.”

In addition to alternative access from south to north Seattle, King County has also looked into funding bus and surface street improvements and additional RapidRide services.

However, David Hull of King County Transportation said that the bored tunnel included three pieces, the bored tunnel itself, the city’s surface street improvements to Spokane and Mercer and transit improvements.

“We have our base service and that takes about $190 million which we don’t have, so part of the deal was looking at another revenue source and Motor Vehicle Excise taxes is one that is being discussed with the legislature,” said Hull. “So it means our base service will be improved meaning we could have six minute head ways at a peak instead of 10 minute head ways.”

Other transit improvements that will coincide with the tunnel construction is by traveling through the bored tunnel there will be four lanes down and down south there will be six lanes on SR 99,

The plans also include potentially changing some of the SR-99 lanes into HOV lanes, which will give buses priority.

“The bored tunnel is for crew trips and to make the whole system work especially to get folks downtown they rely on transit service,” said Hull. “ So the transit service is a critical part of the whole plan.”