Gregoire calls for voters to decide future of viaduct

OLYMPIA — The future of the Alaskan Way Viaduct appeared as murky as ever Friday, despite Gov. Christine Gregoire's long-awaited decision on the project.

Gregoire called for a public vote in Seattle to break the political stalemate over whether to build an affordable elevated structure or a tunnel that she considers to be financially shaky.

City Council members said a vote likely would be held in March or April, and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, the chief tunnel proponent, said he would abide by the outcome.

But big questions remain: What happens if voters pick a tunnel but the city can't come find the money to build it? And would state lawmakers be willing to help pay for a tunnel that many of them oppose?

There were no clear answers Friday.

Reaction to Gregoire's decision was mixed.

Senate Transportation Chairwoman Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, praised the governor, saying a public vote is the right move.

Yet Senator-elect Ed Murray, D-Seattle, the new vice-chairman of her committee and a tunnel supporter, said: "I think that we, and not the voters, were elected to make the hard decisions. I think we the Legislature or the local elected officials in Seattle should make the decision."

House Speaker Frank Chopp, who has publicly opposed replacing the viaduct with a tunnel, was noncommittal. "I'll have to take a look at it, and I'll think about it," he said.

Gregoire said a vote on the viaduct should happen before the upcoming state legislative session ends in April. If voters approve the tunnel, she said, the city would be legally responsible to pay the additional $1.8 billion needed above and beyond the cost to rebuild the viaduct.

She said if cost was no object, the tunnel would be an easy choice. But she said the finance plan for the tunnel is not "feasible and sufficient" to complete the project.

Nickels has said the city would pay for the tunnel with contributions from the Port of Seattle, a special downtown property tax, additional federal grants and money from a regional tax increase expected on the ballot next year.

The state Legislature last year asked the city of Seattle to vote on a viaduct replacement option or have the City Council choose a replacement by ordinance. While the council initially intended to put the issue to a vote, it changed its mind and endorsed the tunnel.

Gregoire was in a hard spot politically. Chopp and a majority of House Democrats oppose the tunnel. Nickels and a majority of Seattle City Council members oppose building a new viaduct and, Gregoire says, can essentially block the project if they want to.

So she punted the issue to voters. "The only way to break the logjam is to have a vote of the people," she said. "It's the only viable alternative to doing nothing."

Nickels is betting that voters will pick the tunnel, arguing it would open up the waterfront and remove a blight.

"I believe that after a thorough debate of the costs and of the value of the option, the people of Seattle would pick the cut-and-cover tunnel," he said.

Nickels did promise to go along with whatever the voters decide.

"I don't think you put something on the ballot like this and ignore the will of the voters. If the voters of Seattle were to choose an option other than the tunnel, I would live with their decision," he said.

A Seattle Times poll in October found that, considering the cost of the project, just 25 percent of Seattle voters wanted to replace the viaduct with a tunnel while 51 percent wanted a new viaduct built.

Gregoire didn't suggest that two other options for the viaduct be put before voters: retrofitting the existing structure or replacing the roadway with a surface boulevard and expanded mass transit.

State engineers have said a retrofit wouldn't be cost-effective, and a surface street couldn't handle the traffic carried by the viaduct.

The viaduct, built in 1953, carries 110,000 cars a day and is downtown Seattle's only north-south alternative to already overloaded Interstate 5. The 2001 Nisqually earthquake caused major cracks in the aging structure. The earthquake damaged several columns that support the viaduct and cracked the joints and floor beams.

The state estimates it will cost $2.8 billion to replace the viaduct with another elevated structure, and $4.6 billion to build a tunnel.

The state has already set aside $2.4 billion, including gas taxes and federal aid, for a replacement project. The governor's office says the state should come up with an additional $400 million regardless of which choice Seattle voters make.

House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said that might not be so easy, especially if the money would have to go toward a new tunnel.

"There is going to be a lot of heartburn over that idea," she said. "We'd have to revisit it and have a full-blown discussion on it."

In Seattle, the governor's announcement came as a surprise to several City Council members who said they expected a decision next week.

"The upshot is she's punted the decision to the voters of Seattle. I support that decision," said Councilman David Della, a tunnel opponent who, along with Council President Nick Licata, has called for a public election.

Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or agarber@seattletimes.com

Seattle Times reporter Bob Young contributed to this report.