Home » Expect Heavier Traffic In Fremont As Alaskan Way Viaduct Closes

Expect Heavier Traffic In Fremont As Alaskan Way Viaduct Closes

The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed starting April 29th while WSDOT digs a tunnel beneath it.  Photo courtesy of Karen Ko, Seattle Dept of Neighborhoods
The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed starting April 29th while WSDOT digs a tunnel beneath it. Photo courtesy of Karen Ko, Seattle Dept of Neighborhoods

Starting Friday, April 29th, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, from South Spokane Street and the south end of the Battery Street tunnel, will be closed as Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) continues construction on the tunnel beneath the concrete structure.

Roughly 90,000 vehicles use the viaduct each day, and WSDOT expects the closure to have a significant impact on the region’s traffic.  We can also expect to see significant increases in the numbers of vehicles using the Fremont Bridge, and avoiding the SR 99 / Washington Memorial Bridge / Aurora Bridge.

“When we closed the viaduct for nine days in 2011, we saw significant congestion on Seattle city streets and nearby highways,” said David Sowers, deputy administrator of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement program, “We’ll do everything we can to ease congestion, but unfortunately there’s no way to close a major highway without disrupting traffic.”

The length of the closure is dependent upon the digging of the tunnel, by Bertha, beneath the Viaduct, which means that the roadway will be re-opened when it is once again deemed safe by WSDOT experts.

Find the most up-to-date information and resources on the website dedicated to this closure at 99closure.org