Maritime industry asks Gregoire to pick the elevated viaduct option

A group representing Seattle's maritime industry is urging Gov. Christine Gregoire to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with another elevated highway.

Gregoire is scheduled to decide by next week how the viaduct should be replaced.

In a letter to Gregoire, the North Seattle Industrial Association, a group of maritime and other businesses, said an elevated highway would maintain traffic and freight capacity and could be built within the state's project budget.

"This option does not require any additional taxes and actually replaces what is there now," the letter said.

Eugene Wasserman, president of the association, said his group does not believe the "fairy tale" of regional tolling that is being pushed by some organizations as a way to pay for replacing the viaduct with a tunnel. Wasserman's association has long opposed a tunnel.

Wasserman said his group also opposes a surface replacement for the viaduct as the "worst of all worlds," because it offers less capacity and would cause conflicts between cars, bicycles and pedestrians.

State and local transportation planners have recommended either using surface streets or an elevated highway to replace the viaduct. Some groups, however, are still pushing for a tunnel along the waterfront.

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