OLYMPIA — After years of stalemate involving state lawmakers, the governor and municipal officials, Seattle’s aging Alaskan Way Viaduct is one step closer to being replaced with a deep-bore tunnel.
Late Wednesday night, the state House voted 53-43 to approve a plan to replace the earthquake-damaged elevated highway.
Now lawmakers just have to work out the details; the bill passed by the House needs to be reconciled with a different version passed by the state Senate.
One major difference: a late amendment tacked on in the House says Seattle property owners should be on the hook for cost overruns in excess of $2.8 billion.
But the addition of the House’s blessing to the project marks a significant step toward replacing the structure. For years, House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, has adamantly opposed a deep-bore tunnel in favor of a larger elevated highway replacement.
In particular, Chopp was concerned that project cost overruns — some have compared the proposed tunnel to the notoriously over-budget Boston “big dig” — would saddle the state with too much of the financial burden.
The tentative deal commits $2.4 billion in state funding to the project and adds an additional $400 million in tolling revenue — money that can only be spent tearing down the current structure and building the new one.
The city of Seattle will be required to pay for all utility relocation costs. The Legislature will also contribute $50 million for improvements needed along the Spokane Street trucking corridor.
Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, said he opposed the late-in-the-game amendment requiring Seattle property owners to foot the bill for cost overruns. He said it creates a dangerous precedent.
The 55-year-old concrete viaduct, part of Highway 99 and used by about 100,000 vehicles a day, was damaged in the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake.
Gov. Chris Gregoire applauded the House action, saying in a statement, “Lawmakers can be proud of this decision to improve public safety, keep a route open for traffic during construction, and generate thousands of new family-wage jobs in the Puget Sound region.”
As proposed, the tunnel would be 54 feet in diameter, with 12-foot traffic lanes, a 4-foot shoulder on the left and an 8-foot shoulder on the right. Unlike the viaduct, there would be no exits or entrances between the south portal near the Mariners’ and Seahawks’ stadiums and the north portal on Aurora Avenue N., three blocks east of the Seattle Center.
Some Republicans criticized the measure, saying it spends too much money on a Seattle project.
Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, chastised lawmakers for prioritizing projects in the Puget Sound region over other important regional projects promised across the state in recent years.
“You can go and only keep your promises to people who can see the Space Needle,” he said. “Promises were made and they’re not going to be kept because this Legislature just keeps with the status quo.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
