Seattle port interests seek funds to replace Alaskan Way Viaduct

Seattle port interests seek funds to replace Alaskan Way Viaduct    A coalition of Washington state government and industry officials ascended Capitol Hill Wednesday to lobby for funds to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
   The viaduct is a three-mile highway segment along Seattle’s downtown waterfront. It was damaged during a 2001 earthquake. The viaduct’s seawall support timbers that have also been eaten away by microscopic crustaceans, known as gribbles.
   According to the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Coalition, the cost to replace the viaduct and seawall ranges from $2.5 billion to $4 billion depending on the construction proposal selected. The coalition is asking Congress for $1 billion towards the total cost of replacement.
   “The viaduct is a critical link between the Port of Seattle, the nation’s fifth-largest container port, and the rest of the country,” said Seattle mayor Greg Nickels in a statement May 5. “Failure of the viaduct would not only create gridlock in Seattle, but would also send reverberations throughout the nation.”