Keeping Seattle viaduct open runs contradictory to tunnel project

The Alaskan Way Viaduct needs to be replaced, but it will remain open for the foreseeable future.

That alone has Seattle council member Mike O’Brien worried about public safety.

“WSDOT continues to say they will keep it open indefinitely,” O’Brien said. “If keeping it open indefinitely was the original plan, then we wouldn’t be digging [in the first place].”

The Seattle tunnel project will be delayed longer than originally thought, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) told the Seattle City Council on Monday. The damage to the tunnel boring machine, Bertha, was more extensive than originally thought.

O’Brien has asked WSDOT just how safe the viaduct is. So far, he has not received a solid answer. WSDOT continues to say it’s a “complex answer” and can’t be provided, he said.

Past delays combined with the most recent information have created concerns about when the project will actually be completed.

“It just creates uncertainty of what the timeline of this project is going to be,” O’Brien said.

The question becomes: How long is the viaduct kept open?

O’Brien is not receiving a clear answer on that, he said.

The ground underneath, and in the area of the viaduct is settling. Independent investigators have said the heavily-used roadway is not in any imminent danger. At some point officials need to look at a realistic timeline of closing the viaduct, whether the tunnel is finished or not, O’Brien said.

“I don’t want that thing standing a day longer than it has to be,” he added.

As for who is responsible for the project, O’Brien said it’s probably too late to find another contractor. Seattle Tunnel Partners, a joint-venture, is most likely in it for the long haul, despite being the target of heavy criticism.

“It’s hard for me to imagine that anybody knowing what they know now [about the project] is going to come back and do this project,” O’Brien said.

“I think we’re stuck with [Seattle Tunnel Partners],” he added.

Related: Safety regulators fine Seattle tunnel company for violations

With the project running well behind schedule, O’Brien hopes the viaduct’s integrity is not quickly dwindling.

“What I’ve heard is it’s not at a point of catastrophic failure,” he said.