SEATTLE (AP) — The Alaskan Way Viaduct along downtown Seattle’s waterfront is set to shut down for good Friday, ushering in what officials say will be one of the most painful traffic periods in the city’s history.
The aging, double-decker, 2.2-mile roadway, which carries about 90,000 vehicles each day, will be replaced by the new four-lane tunnel.
But the new tunnel won’t open until about three weeks after the viaduct closes as workers realign the highway into it. The DOT says it will be the longest major highway closure the Puget Sound region has ever seen.
The period between the viaduct’s closure, scheduled for 10 p.m. Friday, and the state Route 99 tunnel opening is already being dubbed the “Seattle Squeeze.”