Viaduct Kills Us All In 2024

Someday the Viaduct is going to collapse and kill a bunch of not-so-unsuspecting Seattleites and maybe a few guys from Everett. Only the elevated highway nymphs and the guy deep in the earth who pulls the earthquake levers knows when, exactly, that will be, but we have a pretty good idea that it will happen "someday." So we busy ourselves fixing it, or, failing that, arguing about how to fix it.

So far we've got "build a bigger viaduct," "bury the viaduct," and "tear down the viaduct." All three are very fine choices that each involve different monies and construction times and allow for varying amounts of traffic throughput upon completion. We'll be voting on which one to run with this year. Now, when there were two choices we were a little irritated because we thought that option three sounded pretty reasonable and should get a place on the ballot so we could fill in the oval next to it in November. Not big fans of the brand new fourth option, though. Nope, three is definitely more than enough options. The new fourth option is to repair the viaduct we've got.

From today's P-I:

Supporters of repairing the aging structure and leaving it in place took their case to the Seattle City Council on Tuesday, asking that their idea be put on the November ballot along with three other replacement choices.

No, no, no. Three is the perfect amount of options. We don't need any "repair the viaduct" new jack muddling things at the polls. Way back in the day, of course, "repair the viaduct" was one of the OOs.

From a yellowing 2004 P-I:

The Alaskan Way Viaduct needs to be replaced, repaired or torn down. Each option will cost hard-to-find public money. What do you think should be done with the Seattle icon?

Right now we're climbing inside the Seattlest time machine with our laptop. You'd think there'd be an ethernet jack in here somewhere...

From a 2008 Seattlest post (hyperlinks are so 2006):

Steven Colbert stopped in Seattle this morning to kick off his campaign tour and share the stage with the transportation planners responsible for Seattle's tenth new viaduct replacement option.

We engage the flux capacitor once more...

From a 2024 Seattlest post:

After voter's approved "doing absolutely nothing" over "replacing the viaduct with matter transporters" just last week an earthquake has caused the aging structure to fall and destroy the entire city.