Dear Editor,

The Alaskan Way Viaduct (AWV) part of State Route 99 is in the news but lack of information on all options is disappointing.

The majority of people in Seattle and the Puget Sound region wanted and still want a retrofit. We don't want the functionality of the AWV diminished; we just want some improvements from South Holgate to Battery Street.

A rebuild-in-place is the closest we have to retrofit. It can be done without closing AWV and would meet federal SAFETY standards, retain the Columbia and Seneca ramps, provide shoulders, provide better runoff treatment, and use quieter pavement and acoustic tiles to improve AWV.

A deep-bored tunnel is being presented as the only solution that allows downtown and waterfront businesses to continue without great disruption during construction.

Wrong!

At public meetings the Washington State Department of Transportation previously presented at least two plans that allow CONTINUED THOUGH REDUCED CAPACITY USE of the AWV while a REBUILD-IN-PLACE occurs.

This is different from the rebuild option publicized for the March 2007 vote since even though that rebuild used basically the same footprint as existing AWV, it required total shutdown for demolition and reconstruction for several years.

Even if rebuild-in-place matches the projected cost of the deep-bored tunnel, the elevated provides much more capacity, functionality, and safety sooner.

Yes elevated, no tunnel.

Harvey Friedman
Ballard