Is most of the traffic using the viaduct today going to downtown or through downtown?

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:16:15 GMT

The viaduct carries approximately 110,000 vehicles per day just south of the mid-town ramps. Of this amount, approximately 17,000 vehicles enter or exit downtown at Columbia and Seneca streets, and 33,000 exit or enter at Elliott and Western avenues toward Belltown, Uptown, and neighborhoods along the 15th Avenue and Elliott Avenue corridor. The remaining 60,000 vehicles continue north through the Battery Street Tunnel, either exiting in the South Lake Union/Queen Anne area or continuing north across the Ship Canal.

Is the viaduct still a safe structure on which to drive?

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:10:26 GMT

Routine safety inspections and maintenance keep the viaduct and seawall safe for public use. In 2008, crews strengthened four column footings where the viaduct had settled approximately five-and-a-half inches into the ground since the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. The column safety project limits settlement in this area of the viaduct and prevents further damage to the structure.

We also installed a system designed to close the viaduct automatically in the event of a moderate to severe earthquake in the greater Seattle area. The new automated closure system consists of traffic gates at all viaduct access points controlled by an earthquake detection system. When the earthquake monitoring system detects significant ground movement, it will simultaneously lower all nine traffic gates and safely close the viaduct in two minutes.

Viaduct questions

Is most of the traffic using the viaduct today going to downtown or through downtown?

Is the viaduct still a safe structure on which to drive?