It’s official: Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition is finally over

After months of work, the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct has finally come to an end.

Crews finished clearing the final pieces of the viaduct late Thursday morning, for what the Washington State Department of Transportation labeled “a giant recycling project.”

To that end, concrete from the demolition was reused to fill the Battery Street Tunnel. In total, roughly 240 million pounds of concrete was recycled, as well as 15 million pounds of steel rebar.

Watch history #live as the last piece of the SR 99 viaduct is being removed https://t.co/mz2chbY6hm

— KIRO 7 Jussero (@JJusseroKIRO7) November 21, 2019

“Nothing about this job was easy,” Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar said in a news release. “The demolition project was a remarkable accomplishment as the viaduct stood perilously close to buildings and utilities and a critical rail corridor.”

Crews have been working since February to dismantle the structure that’s stood along Seattle’s waterfront since the 1950s.

If you’re looking to get a piece of the action, you’re in luck — WSDOT is giving out concrete pieces of the viaduct free of charge.

You can get your piece of the viaduct at the Waterfront Space on the corner of Western Avenue and Union Street, any time between Wednesday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The space is currently a showcase for Seattle’s reimagined waterfront, run by Friends of the Waterfront Seattle.

In the days ahead, the waterfront along Alaskan Way will be completely overhauled to include a 20-acre park and public space, a promenade and bike path, an overlook walk, a seawall, and more.

Construction has already begun on two-way bus lanes on Columbia Street to connect transit between 3rd Avenue and SR 99 south of downtown.

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