South Sounders – and all Washingtonians, for that matter – ought to keep an eye on the politics surrounding the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
To put it another way, count the silverware.
The huge viaduct, which carries Highway 99 along the Seattle waterfront, has needed replacing since it was weakened by the Nisqually Earthquake in 2001. Yet after seven years of squabbling, the state still doesn’t have a plan in hand.
Disputes among state officials, King County Executive Ron Sims, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and Seattleites in general have repeatedly derailed solutions.
What the state Department of Transportation does have is a menu of eight options, ranging from tunnels to boulevards to elevated highways. As with any menu, some entrees are more expensive than others. The tab for any of the above will run into the billions of dollars, but some will run into more billions than others.
Here’s where the rest of the state has an interest. Generally speaking, folks in Seattle are interested in the pricier dishes. But every extra billion in state money spent on this project, to enhance the Seattle waterfront or whatever, is a billion that won’t get spent for transportation projects elsewhere.
The latest twist in the plot involves House Speaker Frank Chopp, a most powerful Seattleite. He has been quietly promoting a stupendous proposal – an elevated, enclosed highway, with a park on top and two stories of offices and shops beneath. In sheer magnitude, it would rival the fabled walls of Constantinople.
No one knows the price tag; the DOT is still working up the cost estimates. But some believe it will be the most expensive item on the menu. That’s saying a lot; as of last year, the tunnel preferred by Seattle downtown interests was estimated at $4.8 billion. An elevated highway that cost more than a tunnel would be a marvel of excess.
Chopp believes that lease revenues from the commercial enterprises below the highway would mitigate the project’s price tag considerably. If so, it may be a contender. But if not, well, Chopp’s stubbornness is legendary. Nickels, Sims and Gov. Chris Gregoire are working to agree on a single plan. Whatever they come up with could hit a roadblock in the House if Chopp turns out to be emotionally invested in the Choppway.
As non-Seattleites, our interest in the dispute is fiscal. We’re OK with any solution – including a solution partially funded by Seattle – that doesn’t siphon off money that would otherwise pay for transportation priorities elsewhere.
We’re just a little nervous that when the likes of Nickels, Sims – and now Chopp – order from the top of the menu, the rest of us will wind up eating from the doggie bag.
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