WILL
WILL CLOSE AHEAD OF THE OPENING OF THE 99 TOTAL.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. >> I'M AMANDA GRACE.
ACCORDING TO WSDOT, 90,000
VEHICLES USE THE VIADUCT EVERY
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. SO
DAY. SO WHEN IT IS GONE AND BEFORE
THE TUNNEL OPENS, ALL THAT
TRAFFIC WILL FUNNEL ONTO
INTERSTATE 5 IN THE DOWNTOWN
STREETS.
STREETS.
STREETS. THERE WILL BE BIG POTENTIAL
FOR MASSIVE BACKUPS.
>> GLENN FARLEY BEGINS OUR
TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT.
>> Reporter: FINALLY LOOKING
LIKE THE PARTS TO OPEN THE
TUNNEL WERE COMING TOGETHER.
THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION SAYS 80% OF THE
TESTING OF THE SYSTEMS LIKE
VENTILATION AND SPRINKLERS IS
FINISHED.
FINISHED.
FINISHED. ABOUT THE TUNNEL MANY OF THE
STREETS FORMING A NEW ALASKAN
WAY AND OTHER ROADS ARE
COMPLETE WITH STOPLIGHTS
AND ARE FENCED OFF.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF OPTIMISM
OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO THAT
WE COULD ACHIEVE THAT OPENING
DATE.
DATE.
DATE. AS
DATE. AS EARLY AS THIS FALL.
>> Reporter: RYAN NIELSEN IS
THE HEAD OF THE ALASKAN WAY
VIADUCT REPLACEMENT PROGRAM
AND SAYS THERE WERE OTHER
CONSIDERATIONS AT PLAY.
THE NOVEMBER OPENING IS NOT
WHERE WSDOT IS GOING ANYMORE.
>> STAY OUT OF THE HOLIDAY
SEASON, WE ARE GOING TO START
THE FORECLOSURE OF SR 99 ON
JANUARY 11.
JANUARY 11. >> Reporter: BOTTOM LINE, IF
THEY CLOSE THE VIADUCT IN
OCTOBER AND BEGAN THE THREE-
WEEK JOB OF COMPLETING
CONSTRUCTION OF RAMPS TO THE
TUNNEL, THAT RUNS INTO THE
RAINY SEASON.
RAINY SEASON. RAIN IS A CONSTRUCTION RISK
WHICH COULD CAUSE DELAYS.
DELAY TOO LONG AND YOU'VE
PUSHED WHAT THEY ARE CALLING
THEIR LONGEST HIGHWAY CLOSURE
IN PUGET SOUND HISTORY
INTO THANKSGIVING AND THE
HOLIDAY SEASON.
HOLIDAY SEASON. SO WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
LOOKING AT FUTURE PLANNING
CALENDAR, HERE IS JANUARY 11.
HERE IS THE THREE WEEKS THAT
EXTEND US INTO FEBRUARY.
IF THEY CAN'T GET IT DONE IN
THREE WEEKS, AND THEY GO
BEYOND THAT, THERE'S NOT A LOT
TO HIT EXCEPT -- EXCEPT FOR CAN
-- EXTENDING THE COMMUTE
MISERY.
MISERY.
MISERY. THE VEHICLES HAVE TO GO
SOMEWHERE.
SOMEWHERE. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO AVOID THE
DRIVE, THE BETTER.
BUT IT'S EXPECTED A LOT OF US
WILL NEED TO OR CHOOSE TO
DRIVE.
DRIVE.
DRIVE. >>
DRIVE. >> THAT'S WHERE WE CAN CHANGE
SIGNAL TIMING ON THE FLY IF WE
NEED TO.
NEED TO.
NEED TO. >> Reporter: HEATHER MARX HITS
DOWNTOWN MOBILITY FOR SEATTLE
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT. THE AGENCY'S OPERATION CENTER
WILL BE OPERATING 24/7.
YES, WE'VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD
BEFORE.
BEFORE.
BEFORE. THE SOUTH MILE OF THE VIADUCT
WAS TORN DOWN IN 2011.
THE 2016'S VIA-DOOM, THE SHUT
DOWN AS BIRTH OF THE TUNNELING
MACHINE DRILLED UNDERNEATH.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND MASS TRANSIT WERE
CALLED IN.
CALLED IN. TERRY WHITE IS WITH KING
COUNTY METRO.
COUNTY METRO. >> METRO IS EXPLORING THE
AVAILABILITY OF MORE THAN A
DOZEN STAND BY COACHES TO KEEP
RIDERS MOVING.
RIDERS MOVING. HAVING THESE BUSES WILL
MAINTAIN POSTED SCHEDULES, AND
THEY WILL BE DEPLOYED WHERE
NEEDED.
NEEDED.
NEEDED. >> Reporter: EVEN MORE WATER
TAXIS HEADING TO AND FROM WEST
SEATTLE, PAUL BRODER IS
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR. >> BUILDING ON LESSONS FROM
THE 2016 VIADUCT CLOSURE, THE
WATER TAXIS SERVED AS A
CONGESTION FREE WAY OF GETTING
IN AND OUT OF THE CITY.
>> THERE IS A LOT TO THINK
ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE
FUTURE OF THIS PROJECT.
MARK WRIGHT CONTINUES THE
CONVERSATION WITH GLENN.
>>> GLENN, JANUARY 11 IS THE
DATE WE NEED TO MARK ON OUR
CALENDAR.
CALENDAR.
CALENDAR. THE VIADUCT CLOSES.
THERE'S A THREE-WEEK PERIOD,
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DURING
THAT THREE WEEKS?
>> OBVIOUSLY ALL THE RAMPS, SR
99, HOOKED UP TO THE VIADUCT
NOW, THEY BUILT MOST OF THESE
OTHER RAMPS BUT THEY
STILL NEED TO CONNECT THEM.
THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON FOR
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. SOME OF THIS RAMP CONSTRUCTION
A LITTLE BIT IS GOING TO START
A WEEK AHEAD OF THIS.
THEN SOME OF THIS WILL LAG BY
ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
SO TECHNICALLY SPEAKING,
D.O.T.
D.O.T.
D.O.T. IS
D.O.T. IS SAYING WE COULD SEE
DISRUPTIONS PARTICULARLY INTO
AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN FOR A
TOTAL OF SIX WEEKS, EVEN
THOUGH THE MAINLINE STATE REP
99 IF YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH
TOWN WON'T BE A PROBLEM.
THAT WILL BE THE THREE WEEKS.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
LEARNING CURVE BECAUSE WHEN
WE'VE DRIVEN THE VIADUCT, WE
KNOW IF WE'RE GOING NORTH, WE
CAN GET OFF ON SAMICA.
WHERE THESE RAMPS GOING TO BE
AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO LEARN
HOW TO NAVIGATE ALL OF THIS?
>> QUICK QUESTION, QUICK
ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION I
SHOULD SAY, IS THAT THERE IS
GOING TO BEEN ON AND OFF RAMPS
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TUNNEL.
THAT IS GONE.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO WHEN
YOU PLAN YOUR TRIP IS IF YOU
COME IN FROM THE NORTH, YOU
COME IN FROM THE SOUTH, YOU'RE
GOING TO GO HOME, YOU NEED TO
FIGURE OUT HOW AM I GOING TO
GET DOWN TO ALASKAN WAY?
HOW AM I GOING TO TAKE VARIOUS
RAMPS TO CONNECT TO DIFFERENT
PIECES THERE?
PIECES THERE? LIKE HARRISON STREET NOW.
AND THE NORTH PORTAL, THAT
GOES THROUGH WITH THE
STOPLIGHT.
STOPLIGHT. CROSSES OVER WHAT USED TO BE
AURORA.
AURORA.
AURORA. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT
OF DIFFERENCES HERE.
AND I THINK IT'S SORT OF AN
OPEN QUESTION AS TO HOW LONG
IT'S GOING TO BE TAKING PEOPLE
TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH THAT
ONCE EVERYTHING IS HOOKED UP.
>> POLLING, WHEN DOES IT
START, HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO
BE?
BE?
BE? >>
BE? >> WE
BE? >> WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.
THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT GOING TO
START IT RIGHT AWAY.
WE ARE THINKING A COUPLE
MONTHS.
MONTHS.
MONTHS. BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY START
TOLLING, SO THAT WILL HELP GET
PEOPLE USED TO IT BEFORE THEY
MAKE THE DETERMINATION IN
TERMS OF WHERE THE TOLLING