Picture perfect last day of service for the Viaduct
SEATTLE -- It’s like Mother Nature knows the curtain is about to close on the Alaskan Way Viaduct.“It's very rare that it's sunny this time of year,” Troy Yamamoto said.It made the viaduct's last hours in service that much more picture perfect.“I just hopped on the bus for a quick hour away from home to get the last shot,” Kitty McCauley said.McCauley has decades of memories driving across the double decker highway along Seattle’s waterfront.“You can see the ferries and mountains it’s stunning,” McCauley said.And McCauley is right, no matter how many times you see the view while driving on the viaduct, it never gets old.“I am sorry to see the view go as you're driving along,” Rainee Colacurcio said.“We actually came down to take one last drive through, I am going to miss the viaduct honestly,” Yamamoto said.And he isn’t alone.
Seattle is about to change in a big way. Are you ready?
SEATTLE - Mayor Jenny Durkan toured the Seattle Department of Transportation just one day before the iconic viaduct is shut down forever.“We know there will be problems.
Seattle businesses offering perks to attract customers during viaduct shutdown
SEATTLE - Despite the expected traffic nightmare during the viaduct closure, some businesses are hoping to continue to draw customers in.Their main message: despite the construction, they remain open for business.Call it 'Via-doom' or 'Seattle squeeze,' if you want or you can embrace it.
Man, 85, who helped build Alaskan Way Viaduct, travels it one last time
SEATTLE -- The Alaskan Way Viaduct closes permanently on Friday, Jan. 11, at 10 p.m., but for one local family, the viaduct is more than a roadway.
Prepare for changes to Seattle's streets
SEATTLE -- Drivers will notice a couple of changes to roads in Seattle as the city prepares for the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.To manage the increased volume of traffic on city streets, the Seattle Department of Transportation is changing traffic patterns ahead of the SR 99 closure that begins Friday, January 11th.On Wednesday, Roy Street between SR 99 and Dexter Avenue North will be closed during the day to allow crews to install temporary right-turn-only striping to help people traveling out of the tunnel exit and head south on Dexter Avenue.The work is expected to happen from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in hopes to be completed before rainy weather over the weekend.On Saturday, January 12th, Seattle DOT is converting Seneca Street between 1st Avenue and 3rd Avenue into a one-way street heading westbound.
Seattle braces for highway closure, historic traffic squeeze
SEATTLE — A major thoroughfare for commuters along downtown Seattle's waterfront is set to shut down for good Friday, ushering in what officials say will be one of the most painful traffic periods in the history of the booming Pacific Northwest city.The double-decker, 2.2-mile Alaskan Way Viaduct, which carries about 90,000 vehicles each day, will be replaced by a new four-lane tunnel.But the tunnel won't open until about three weeks after the viaduct closes as workers realign the highway into it.
Sound Transit adds more buses, but no additional Light Rail or Sounder Trains during Viaduct closure
SEATTLE – Catching the light rail or Sounder commuter train might be your next best option to avoid heavy congestion on the roads during the viaduct closure.
Rideshare drivers hoping for the best during viaduct closure
SEATTLE – By now you’ve likely heard of the options to help you navigate during the viaduct closure set to start on Friday.
SR 99 tunnel 'safest place to be' during earthquake
SEATTLE -- The double-deck Alaskan Way Viaduct spells disaster in the event of a massive earthquake in Seattle.It's a warning that played out in real life in Oakland, Calif., 30 years ago.
Expanding transit options revealed prior to viaduct closure
SEATTLE – The first set of ramp closures on the Alaskan Way Viaduct are scheduled to begin this evening.
Select viaduct ramp closures begin one week before scheduled shutdown
SEATTLE – The Washington State Department of Transportation says now is the time commuters should be reconsidering their drive if they travel through Seattle using the viaduct.The first round of on and off ramp closures are scheduled to begin this Friday, beginning the first of many changes for commuters coming into the city.The on and off ramps on the south end of SR-99 will soon shut down – and it could be a taste of what’s to come when the viaduct closes for three full weeks.“If travelers don’t give themselves extra time to get downtown, you’re going to miss appointments, you’re going to be late to work,” said WSDOT’s David Sowers.After years of construction and delays, WSDOT and its contractors say they are ready to begin a series of projects to finalize connecting SR-99 to the new underground tunnel but that means drivers will have to begin modifying their commutes beginning Friday at 10 p.m.“This work that we’re tackling at these ramps allow us to get ahead of that and ensure that we finish the closure in the three weeks that we’ve got allocated,” said Sowers.The closures on Friday include the on and off ramps on Royal Braugham and Atlantic Streets where drivers get on and off near the stadiums.
Viaduct closure countdown: New videos show you how to navigate SR-99 tunnel
Commuters in the Puget Sound region are in for major changes starting Jan. 11, when the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle closes permanently to pave the way for the two-mile SR-99 tunnel that will open in early February.
How to navigate the longest highway closure ever in the Puget Sound region
The three-week closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which starts Jan. 11, will be the longest highway closure ever for the area.
Seattle launches on-demand van service ahead of viaduct closure
SEATTLE - The countdown begins with one month away from the closure of the viaduct.
'It's going to be messy for a while': Businesses brace for viaduct demolition
SEATTLE - As the Alaskan Way Viaduct is getting ready to be demolished, the public was invited to learn about how the demolition will impact residents and businesses at an informational meeting Tuesday night.With a growing city, some things come and some things go.
Viaduct demolition will last about 6 months, bringing disruption and noise
SEATTLE - The Alaskan Way Viaduct will shut down Jan. 11, marking the longest major highway closure ever in the Puget Sound region.The new State Route 99 tunnel will replace the viaduct sometime the week of Feb. 4 and is expected to be a safer option for commuters.
Viaduct closure: Finding alternatives is challenging for certain businesses, neighborhoods
SEATTLE -- With only 42 days until the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes, many people are bracing themselves for epic traffic problems during what will be the longest and biggest highway closure in Seattle history.
Viaduct closure: The countdown is on to the 'Seattle Squeeze'
SEATTLE-- Some soaking late November rains and the upper deck of the cracked and slowly crumbling and sinking Alaskan Way Viaduct is visibly jammed with bumper to bumper cars.Hard to believe in roughly 40 days we'll be looking back on days like this as "the good old days."But, the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct is coming soon.On Jan. 11, 90,000 commuters will be forced into different routes or modes of transit.
Highway 99 tunnel tolls set; first several months will be free
Driving through the new Highway 99 tunnel underneath downtown Seattle might not be cheap. But the hope is that it will save commuters time.
Large-scale disaster drill to take place inside State Route 99 Tunnel Thursday
SEATTLE — If you’re near the northbound side of the State Route 99 Tunnel on Thursday, you may see Seattle fire and police departments hard at work.Response crews will practice what to do if an accident happens inside the tunnel with cars and drivers trapped inside.The Washington State Department of Transportation says it spent a year and a half planning this exercise.