New overpass for notorious Seattle traffic bottleneck
Jan 24, 2014, 2:37 PM | Updated: Jan 27, 2014, 5:56 am
In this artist's rendering of the overpass from 2010, WSDOT shows the C-shaped structure at South Atlantic Street, near Seattle's stadiums, which will allow freight and other traffic to bypass a busy train track. Construction began in summer 2012. (Image courtesy WSDOT)
(Image courtesy WSDOT)
The new Atlantic Street overpass opened Monday morning, finally separating vehicle and train traffic in a notorious Seattle waterfront bottleneck.
Commuter traffic and freight going in and out of a busy Port of Seattle terminal will now use the overpass in the SoDo district, west of Safeco Field.
“That train blocks Atlantic Street 30 percent of each and every day,” said Matt Preedy, Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program deputy administrator. “When it’s blocking Atlantic Street, the freight trucks can’t get through, they can’t get to the port, they can’t get to the freeways.”
The new overpass should also smooth the flow of traffic using East Marginal Way and Alaskan Way South.
The overpass is the last piece of a one-mile rebuild of Alaskan Way, south of the viaduct.
