The State of Washington, King County, and the City of Seattle are working together to find a solution for the central waterfront section of the viaduct. Governor Christine Gregoire, King County Executive Ron Sims, and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels have directed the three transportation departments to begin evaluating options with the public so that a recommendation can be made by the end of 2008.
The agencies will approach the problem by looking at the entire system of streets, transit service, and freeways from Lake Washington to Elliott Bay, and from NE 85th Street in the north to Seattle's city limits in the south. Our intention is to develop a recommended approach in December 2008 for consideration by the appropriate legislative bodies in 2009.
Any solution to the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be grounded in the state, county, and city’s recognition of, commitment to, and integration across a set of six guiding principles: |
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We are looking beyond the SR 99 corridor and considering solutions that help keep goods and people moving throughout the regional transportation network. View larger map. |
- Improve public safety.
- Provide efficient movement of people and goods.
- Maintain or improve the economies of downtown Seattle, the port, the region, and the state.
- Enhance Seattle's waterfront, downtown and adjacent neighborhoods as a place for people.
- Create solutions that are fiscally responsible.
- Improve the health of the environment.
This central waterfront work will take place in conjunction with the Moving Forward projects, which will repair or replace about half of the viaduct in the north and south ends of the corridor.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee
The committee is a group of 30 people representing various constituencies and community groups, including business, neighborhood, freight, commuter, environmental, and other interests. The Washington State, King County, and Seattle departments of transportation (WSDOT, KCDOT, and SDOT, respectively) lead the committee as a way to engage key stakeholders, listen to ideas, and conduct a transparent public involvement process for the central waterfront project.
Committee meetings are open to the public. Written public comments will be collected during each meeting and will be shared with each committee member. Comments can also be submitted to viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov or by calling 1-888-AWV-LINE.
Interagency Working Group
WSDOT, KCDOT and SDOT also lead an Interagency Working Group that includes staff from different public agencies around the region. The purpose of the group is to share information on the central waterfront project with public agencies and to collect technical feedback on alternatives as they are developed.
Agencies participating in the working group include Community Transit, Federal Highway Administration, Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, Passenger Ferry District, Pierce Transit, Port of Seattle, Public Health, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Puget Sound Regional Council, Sound Transit, and Washington State Ferries.