We’ve seen a lot of wistful eulogies for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. This is not one. I hope the viaduct’s concrete spirit burns in highway hell next to a bunch of other overbuilt freeways that have fueled massive carbon emissions and paved our way to a climate change crisis.
For 65 years, the viaduct made life worse in Seattle, belching out pollution, blasting an unceasing roar of 100,000 daily vehicles, jumpstarting White flight, and transforming the waterfront from a bustling port blending seamlessly with the city to a forgotten eyesore. Imagine the beauty of Elliott Bay’s beach and tideflats before White settlement! When did replacing that beautiful scene with 60 feet of concrete to carry 100,000 honking cars start to seem like a good idea?
The last motorists drove the viaduct on Friday night–some of them squealing their tires and blaring their horns in a car culture salute to a fallen monument to motoring. For three weeks these motorists will have to make due without a second freeway running through Downtown Seattle. And then the new monument to motoring–the $4 billion SR-99 double-decked deep-bore tunnel–will open. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is already running ads on TV begging Puget Sound Region motorists to try the tunnel once it opens and take advantage of free trial period. How’s that for climate action!
