Why can’t the viaduct and seawall just be repaired?
The Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall are past their design life and repairs can no longer extend their lives. The viaduct and seawall do not meet today’s seismic standards and were also damaged in the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. Ongoing inspections have revealed the viaduct has moved and settled, and the seawall’s timber relieving platform has been eaten away by tiny marine crustaceans, called gribbles. Over $5 million has been spent so far on repairs to the viaduct and seawall. Repair costs will be ongoing, continue to escalate, and at some point, repairs will no longer be enough to keep the viaduct and seawall safe for the public.And we have basically arrived at that point. If a major earthquake strikes, the Alaskan Way Viaduct will pancake, killing people and destroying a lot of property. Toby Nixon isn’t a transportation expert. He doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about and he certainly doesn’t seem to care about public safety. He just gripes about a problem with congestion in
