The Mayor wants to replace a dangerously old waterfront highway with a tunnel -- but could the effort actually make matters worse, especially for Pike Place Market?
It's "no secret that Mayor Greg Nickels and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) favor replacing the [Alaskan Way] viaduct with a tunnel, 'opening up the waterfront' to parks, condos, and new commercial development. According to Nickels, building the tunnel 'gives us the chance to transform the front door of our city into a spectacular public gathering place for generations to come.' At a press conference on a wet Monday morning just over a year ago, Nickelsâ€"wearing a bright-green button bearing the motto 'The Tunnelâ€"Dig It!' -- vowed to 'make our waterfront a cleaner, quieter, more beautiful place for all.'
However, the reality of the tunnel is much different from the vision Seattle is being sold. Instead of what most people probably imagineâ€"an underground structure extending the length of the waterfront, hidden from view by landscaping, parks, and new commercial developmentâ€"the mayor's tunnel plan also includes a new elevated viaduct and a six-lane surface highway."
Read the full story: Greg Nickels's Secret Plan to Destroy Pike Place Market
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