Viaduct Replacement: Surface and Tunnel

Steve Scher
01/08/2009 at 10:00 a.m.

The Governor, the King County Executive and the Mayor could not reach a compromise on the viaduct. Some fear that the surface option on the table could hurt Pike Place Market. The council of stakeholders recommended a surface option, but left the possibility of a deep–bore tunnel on the table for future analysis. Would the surface option hurt the Market? Could a tunnel get support? And would it ever be cheap enough? We look at critiques of the surface option.

Guest(s)

Jeffrey Ochsner is a professor of architecture at the University of Washington. He believes the surface option plan would unravel the urban strengths of the Market.

Carol Binder is executive director of the Market. She's also on the Stakeholder's Advisory Committee.

Cary Moon is a landscape and urban designer and principal of Landscape Agents. She is a member of the People's Waterfront Coalition, an organization supporting the surface–transit alternative to Viaduct replacement. She's also on the Stakeholder's Advisory Committee.

Bob Donegan is the CEO of Ivars. He's a member of the Stakeholder's Advisory Committee.

David Brewster is the publisher of the online newspaper Crosscut.