Viadoom history lesson with Feliks Banel
Jan 6, 2019, 10:26 AM | Updated: Jan 7, 2019, 5:51 am
(WSDOT)
(WSDOT)
With the permanent closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct just days away, here’s a look back at the history of the viaduct and Battery Street Tunnel through stories produced over the past decade by KIRO Radio historian Feliks Banel.
Check out MyNorthwest’s full Viadoom coverage
Before Bertha: The Mysteries of Battery Street
As Bertha neared the finish line at the north end of the new tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, consider the lowly Battery Street Subway.
WATCH: Dave Ross survives the 2001 Nisqually Quake
KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross tells the story of experiencing the Nisqually Quake live on the air at KIRO Radio in Seattle.
History of the Viaduct through Lost and Found Viaduct Sounds
A short audio montage featuring Elvis, Bing Crosby, Dave Ross, and more tells, more or less, the story of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Sound familiar? Viaduct originally had no off-ramps either
Did you realize the original plans for the Alaskan Way Viaduct didn’t have ramps? That’s quite similar to the new tunnel that will replace it.
The Hank, Bertha or Fast Eddie: Naming the new waterfront tunnel
What to name the new tunnel? The debate can be contentious. Bertha the boring machine was named after a former Seattle mayor. Perhaps history can offer a few other options for the tunnel.
Not the first time Seattle waterfront was saved by a tunnel
Say what you want about the whole tunnel project, the new passageway will offer better waterfront views than the old the Alaskan Way Viaduct. But this isn’t the first time Seattle’s waterfront ambiance has been saved by a tunnel.
Searching for Seattle’s Ghost Signs
They are all around you. But you just haven’t noticed them. These ghosts from Seattle’s traffic past linger throughout the city. Have you seen a ghost sign?
Secret room hidden in Battery Street Tunnel
With no Alaskan Way Viaduct, there will be no use for the Battery Street Tunnel. It will be filled in with rubble from the viaduct. Little secrets like this will become even less known. Check out a video of this secret room here.
Driving through Seattle before the Viaduct (Seattle Channel)
How did Seattleites get around before the Viaduct offered a quick bypass through downtown? Feliks Banel takes a journey into Seattle’s historic traffic.
Waterfront planners look to past
As planners consider how Seattle’s waterfront will look in the future, they may be getting a little help from the past. How did the city look before the viaduct, and can it look that way again?
Viaduct work reveals long-forgotten neighborhood
It was a bustling corner of Seattle where a saloon, a plumber, warehouses, hotels, and many residents called home. But today, this neighborhood is under six feet of dirt. Washington State Department of Transportation crews encountered this neighobrhood’s remnants when relocating utilities for work related to Bertha.
