Fight Over Tunnel Infects City Races

The long-running conflict over how to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, theoretically settled in January when local and state leaders agreed on a controversial tunnel option, has come up in the tendentious races for mayor and city council. According to the P-I, tunnel supporters held a press conference yesterday attacking mayoral candidate and former Sierra Club leader Mike McGinn and council candidate Mike O'Brien for "misleading voters about the project's costs and benefits." McGinn has been particularly critical, frequently pointing to a $4.2 billion price tag, which includes related projects like street and seawall improvement and replacement. Tunnel supporters counter that the tunnel is only $1.2 to $1.9 billion.