Viaduct not yet replaced; $1B spent or committed

The state Legislature budgeted $2.8 billion last year to replace Seattle's deteriorating Alaskan Way Viaduct with another elevated roadway.

But a large chunk of that money already has been spent. About $1.1 billion has been either spent on or committed to several viaduct projects, with still no decision about how to replace the viaduct in downtown Seattle. And it's not clear that the remaining $1.7 billion will be enough to finish the viaduct replacement.

So where did the money go?

The biggest chunk has been committed to rebuilding the south end of the 2.2-mile viaduct, from South Holgate to South King streets, at an estimated cost of $540 million, according to Ron Paananen, viaduct project manager for the state Department of Transportation (DOT).

The $540 million is part of some $909 million spent for or committed to what are called "forward-moving projects."

Other money dedicated to forward-moving projects includes:

• Stabilizing piers near Colman Dock. This job, which is completed, cost $4.5 million.

• Relocating utility lines on the viaduct, which carries many public and private utility lines. That work may start this fall and has a price tag of $64.4 million.

• Rebuilding the Battery Street Tunnel, which is expected to cost about $119 million. Paananen, however, has said the full rebuild will be delayed until a decision is made about replacing the central part of the viaduct.

For now the state plans to work on lighting and ventilation in the tunnel — projects that won't require the viaduct to be closed except at night and on weekends. The state expects to spend about $30 million on that.

• Connecting Lenora Street and the Battery Street Tunnel, at a cost of about $56 million. This project, which is 60 percent designed, is on hold, Paananen said. "We're not sure it's a good fit," he said. "We may not need it."

• Downtown transit enhancements, totaling $125 million. The spending includes $5.5 million for Highway 519 to connect the Port of Seattle to Interstate 90 near the sports stadiums, $30 million for King County Metro Transit for transit during viaduct construction, and $20 million for a Spokane Street project adding lanes to the elevated roadway that connects Interstate 5 to the West Seattle Bridge.

Through mid-2007, the state spent more than $162 million on environmental work: an environmental-impact statement ($18 million), which Paananen said is now "on ice," design ($96 million) and nearly $49 million for property purchases.

The biggest of those property purchases, at $29 million, was for Washington-Oregon Shippers Cooperative Association property in a Diamond Parking lot near Qwest Field.

The viaduct in that vicinity would have side-by-side north and south lanes, rather than having northbound lanes stacked above southbound lanes. The state needed more land for replacing the south end of the viaduct, and also for a construction-staging area.

The state spent $180,000 on a study by T.Y. Lin International, which rejected a proposal to retrofit the existing viaduct. In all, the state has already spent $45 million on viaduct replacement.

What isn't certain is whether the $1.7 billion remaining is enough to replace the viaduct and the rebuild the Alaskan Way sea wall. The state last month narrowed its viaduct options to eight: three surface-boulevards proposals, two aerial structures and three tunnel options. There are no cost estimates for any of them.

The DOT hopes to narrow the choices to two or three by this fall. Gov. Christine Gregoire plans to announce the winner in December.

Paananen said the DOT is confident there will be enough money to build another aerial structure, as the Legislature envisioned. If there's not enough money, he said, the state would need a new financing plan, which could involve city money.

He said the sea-wall replacement is expected to cost $400 million, and that the state will make a policy decision whether the city should pay the cost for the sea wall. "The city and state are integral to completing the project," Paananen said.

He also said viaduct-replacement costs are going up $10 million each month because of inflation.

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

Information in this article, originally published July 30, was corrected July 30. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that $1 billion has already been spent on projects related to the Alaskan Way Viaduct. About $1 billion has been spent or committed.