Panel may not get to see viaduct plan

When Gov. Christine Gregoire asked the state Department of Transportation to study Seattle's proposal for a "tunnel lite" to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, she asked that an expert review panel take another look, too.

But the expert panel, which once said the idea for a four-lane tunnel showed "promise," may not actually be called upon to do much work.

Rod Brown, a member of the panel that was appointed last year by Gregoire to study viaduct financing, said his group has been told it will only look at the end product of the DOT review.

"We're still trying to clarify what we're supposed to do," Brown, a local attorney, said Monday, adding that it might work for the panel to simply study the final DOT review -- if there's enough time.

The problem, he said, is the state's review is to be completed by Feb. 12, and the deadline to submit it to the governor is Feb. 13.

"I don't see how this can work," he said, "but maybe the governor can adjust the process to make it more meaningful."

DOT Secretary Doug MacDonald said he didn't know what role the panel will have in reviewing the city's tunnel plan. "I don't know how this will work out, if at all," he said.

In other developments, city officials said that when city staff showed up Monday at the viaduct project-team headquarters in Seattle to work on the tunnel study, state transportation officials told them to stay away.

Bob Powers, director of major projects for the city's Department of Transportation, said that when he arrived, "We were told that our presence was not required, that we would not be part of the process.

"To exclude us now runs against the whole transparency issue," Powers said.

Grace Crunican, head of the city's transportation department, sent a letter of complaint to the state. In it she insisted that "Seattle's participation in this review is crucial" and that without the city's participation, the study cannot address many of the questions Gregoire last week said she wants answered.

In her letter, Crunican said the city will not accept the review if the city and expert panel don't participate in it.

MacDonald said the decision to exclude the city at this point is intended to give the study more independence.

If Seattle and state transportation officials are "sitting elbow to elbow ... while the work is done, others will see the possibility of influence in the answers which will throw into question the [study's] objectivity," MacDonald said.

In a letter sent late Monday to Crunican, Ron Paananen, viaduct project manager with the DOT, echoed MacDonald's concerns, but said the state will need the city's help in its evaluation work.

Specifically, Paananen asked two questions: what are the additional transit investments contemplated under the hybrid tunnel option and how will they be done; and what surface street improvements are planned, how will they be completed and paid for.

He said he wants answers by today.

The mayor and a majority of the City Council are pressing for the four-lane tunnel as the city's best chance of avoiding construction of a six-lane elevated highway.

Seattle residents will vote next month on a pair of advisory measures on the tunnel and elevated options. Ballots in the all-mail election must be postmarked by March 13.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com