Farewell Alaskan Way Viaduct - May Your Concrete Not Get Recycled into Some Crappy New Housing Development

"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired) 01/11/2019 at 09:19 • Filed to: None

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Tonight Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct will close for good. Many sunny days I’d find myself blasting northwards on the upper deck with the top down enjoying the amazing views of the Puget Sound. King 5 has done a drive in both directions on the viaduct in virtual reality so you can get the full experience of what it was like to drive on the “car crusher.”

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 09:27

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Vancouver is closing Georgia Viaduct (you have seen it before, even if you think you haven’t). Seems like cities are becoming more and more unfriendly to cars.

1970 view

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 09:29

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Another Seattle Sportcross!

Also, sad to se that road go. Seems like it would be a great, copless drive. 

fintail > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 09:32

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90% of the time I’ve been on the viaduct, it has been in gridlock and all I could think wa s “please no earthquake please no earthquake please no earthquake”. Glad I don’t live in the city. Still, kind of uncool to see such an iconic fixture being removed, but that’s what you get with insane growth.

fintail > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/11/2019 at 09:33

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Wow, Expo86 really cleaned up that area.

someassemblyrequired > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/11/2019 at 09:37

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Yep, driving in Vancouver is awful. I hated having to go to my brother’s place downtown and I imagine it’s gotten even worse since I was last there a few years ago.

someassemblyrequired > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 01/11/2019 at 09:37

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Yep, Seattle’s little slice of Autobahn.

someassemblyrequired > fintail 01/11/2019 at 09:40

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Yeah it’s another vestige of Seattle’s industrial/working-class roots gonzoed. TBH, I usually avoided going southbound in traffic for that reason, I always figured I’d be OK on the upper deck, even if the thing let go.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 09:40

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I took one last drive on the Viaduct last weekend. I’m not nostalgic about this ugly and outdated roadway, but it’s been a part (however small) of my life for the past 14 years, and it’s not something I’m going to forget about any time soon. Next month I’ll be taking a walk on the Viaduct during the SDOT/WSDOT festivities for the opening of the new tunnel.

I think the tunnel will be safer and more fun to drive. 

someassemblyrequired > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 01/11/2019 at 09:44

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I think it’s nostalgic because they have pretty much disappeared in most other major cities. And the views are spectacular. 

I’m on the fence about the safety of the new tunnel, given the geology and configuration of the waterfront. I think it will be equally problematic in an earthquake, primarily due to flooding, but we shall see.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 09:56

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Maybe they can "accidentally" close and demolish the West Seattle Bridge while they're over there, so I never have to use either road ever again.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/11/2019 at 09:58

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They want to punish people for not being able to afford living in downtown  Vancouver.

someassemblyrequired > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/11/2019 at 10:08

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I always take the low road....  

Urambo Tauro > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 10:09

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This video falls into the same trap that a lot of other 360° videos do . It’s a shame because it started out pretty interesting, like oh hey there’s a lot to take in here, I’m glad I can look around . But then they put that picture-in-picture box in the way and started running text along the screen to keep you looking forward. Some videos just shouldn’t be 360°.  

someassemblyrequired > Urambo Tauro 01/11/2019 at 10:15

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Or just film it and leave it. Totally agree, would have been much better with none of the “extras” and no dumb music (unless it was Springsteen’s “Tunnel of Love”)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 10:35

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Jesus would have taken the high road.

someassemblyrequired > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/11/2019 at 10:40

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For 40 days and 40 nights, He sat in traffic on the West Seattle Bridge, before H e was tempted by the dark for ces of the Spokane St. Bridge.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/11/2019 at 10:42

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While simultaneously giving homeless people housing right in the city because “housing is a right”

Meanwhile, I can’t afford anything withing 100km of Vancouver.  

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/11/2019 at 11:06

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Amazon is running ads that they’re hiring in the “ Seattle-area” (meaning Eastside and Seattle) with jobs starting out at $16.50 an hour! I dare anyone to live in Seattle off of $16.50 an hour.

Spaceball-Two > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 12:08

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I have no good memories of this road. It’s always balled up and when I’m sitting there it’s always going through my mind that at that moment the Earth could start shaking and I will meet my end. That being said I’ll be avoiding downtown for a while. Between this and Mercer it’s just impossible to get anywhere.

facw > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 15:33

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Seems the engineers think it is safe enough, and there seems to be little question that the viaduct would be extremely dangerous in a quake.

facw > someassemblyrequired 01/11/2019 at 15:38

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FWIW, post-B ig-D ig downtown Boston is a big improvement over having the Central Artery cut through, and while I’m not old enough to have seen NYC when the West Side Highway was still a highway, I will say that the West Side waterfront is much nicer than the East Side, where you still have the FDR cutting it off from the city.

I imagine downtown Seattle will similarly be able to have a nicer, more-connected waterfront with the viaduct gone.

someassemblyrequired > facw 01/11/2019 at 18:32

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As a mechanical engineeer I have preconceived notions about civil engineers...

The viaduct needed significant work - but that area is all fill, and the seawall is critical.   It’s probably OK to survive the initial quake, but I think it’ll need a few months of rebuilding depending on where the next quake hits (it’s also very close to a fault line).

someassemblyrequired > facw 01/11/2019 at 18:43

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It is, though I did enjoy the upper deck.  There’s still a portion of the West Side Highway north of 59th street, but the section south of 59th is definitely nicer.   It will likely improve things downtown in Seattle, but as a driver it’s a little sad to lose all the views.