Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will close the Alaskan Way Viaduct for its semiannual inspections on the weekend of Oct. 13 and 14.
Since the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, WSDOT has conducted a full inspection of the viaduct every six months to closely monitor any settlement or other signs of continuing deterioration.
The week following the inspection, WSDOT will begin work to strengthen the columns between Columbia Street and Yesler Way, where the viaduct has settled approximately 5 inches since the Nisqually quake. WSDOT determined that the threshold for emergency repairs was 6 inches but chose to make the repairs sooner because of a trend of continued settlement. Repairs will take about six months to complete and should prevent the columns from sinking further into the soil.
This is the first of the six safety and mobility projects designed to repair or replace more than half of the deteriorating viaduct.
Crews will close both decks of the viaduct Saturday, Oct. 13, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Spokane Street through the Battery Street Tunnel. Unlike previous inspections, the Battery Street Tunnel will remain closed on Saturday night for corrosion testing. On Sunday, Oct. 14, crews will again close both decks at 6 a.m. from Spokane Street through the Battery Street Tunnel. Due to a 5:15 p.m. Seahawks game, lanes will be reopened early: the southbound lanes at 3 p.m., and the northbound at 4 p.m.
Drivers should expect increased congestion on all major north-south routes during the closure and plan accordingly. WSDOT recommends leaving early, carpooling, vanpooling or taking transit.
WSDOT will release inspection results on Friday, Oct. 19.
Meanwhile, Seattle Department of Transportation has announced that the Fremont Bridge will be closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, through Friday, Oct. 19. The bridge will be closed to all traffic, even pedestrians and bicyclists, as SDOT's contractor continues to work on the bridge's mechanical and electrical systems.
Marine traffic will not be affected by these closures. King County Metro buses also will not be affected, since the closures start after the last night bus crosses and end before the first bus crosses in the morning.
