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Friday, January 4, 2008

Viaduct Coming Down

posted by on January 4 at 12:49 PM

The governor is taking action—swift and terrible action!—and, with God as her witness, no foolin’, don’t try to stop her, she is going to tear the goddamn Alaska Way Viaduct down. In 2012—just eleven short years after the Nisqually Earthquake damaged the viaduct in February of 2001.

“It’s coming down in 2012. I’m taking it down—the middle,” she said, referring to the elevated portion of the span that runs roughly from Battery Street Tunnel to Pioneer Square, which has been the most vexing and controversial piece of the transportation puzzle.

“That’s the timeline. I’m not going to fudge on it. And if we don’t have some alternative by then, boy are we going to have a mess on our hands because it’s coming down.”

Asked if she, as governor, could trump the state’s largest city and county and unilaterally tear down a highway that carries more than 100,000 vehicles a day through the heart of Seattle, Gregoire said:

“Yeah, watch me.”

Wait… I thought we had all agreed to wait until the viaduct fell down? Well, there’s still time. If an act of God doesn’t bring down the viaduct in the next 48 months, the governor will.

RSS icon Comments

1

geez, what a bitch.

Posted by diggum | January 4, 2008 12:54 PM
2

A decade too late, but thank GOD somebody is finally talking like this. The first real sign (in six years!!!) that somebody is seriously committed to take decisive action.

If she were a "bitch" like this more often I would certainly feel better about her as Governor.

Posted by chocolate sprain | January 4, 2008 12:56 PM
3

Any chance she'll strap some dynamite to herself and go old-school terrorist to do it?

We could sell tickets...

I'm just sayin'...

Posted by Al | January 4, 2008 12:56 PM
4

After reading this in the paper I can't get the image out of my head of the Governor going up to the viaduct and pushing it down Hulk-style.

Posted by boxofbirds | January 4, 2008 12:59 PM
5

Is it just me or is it kind of cocky of her to assume that she'll be Governor in 2012?

Posted by Phelix | January 4, 2008 1:06 PM
6

Yowza! Man I just got some wood. Our gov sure is sexy when she gets all decisive and shit.

Posted by Rotten666 | January 4, 2008 1:06 PM
7

@2 - A-FUCKING-MEN.

Governor Gregoire, tear down this viaduct!

Posted by Hooty Sapperticker | January 4, 2008 1:07 PM
8

I'm a viaduct supporter -- nay, viaduct LOVER -- but I'm impressed with her forthrightness. Enough Seattle-style dilly-dallying. After the botched election, NOTHING has been done. If the mayor got his way, and lived long enough, we'd have a brand new tunnel -- in about 2108.

Posted by Fnarf | January 4, 2008 1:08 PM
9

bravo for her! and even if she can't get it torn down, perhaps this will at least force another option...

Posted by infrequent | January 4, 2008 1:10 PM
10

bravo for her!

Posted by infrequent | January 4, 2008 1:11 PM
11

Gee, was she channeling Ronald Reagan or something?

I think we should tell her she doesn't have the balls to tear it down. We DARE you to tear it down BITCH!!! Bring it ON!!!

Posted by Just Me | January 4, 2008 1:11 PM
12

Why wait? Tear the fucker down now.

Posted by monkey | January 4, 2008 1:19 PM
13

i really don't mind it being there but i can't see why its necessary. if we can tear it down, improve flow of traffic throughout all of downtown seattle and add more transit, that sounds a hell of alot better than rebuilding it.

Posted by Cale | January 4, 2008 1:22 PM
14

Remember the vote we had on this very subject. The one where Gregoire wanted to rebuild it and we said No and Hell No. We told her to tear it down. Now she's acting like it was her idea. She's nuts, but whatever...

Posted by gavingourley | January 4, 2008 1:27 PM
15

@6 if you need something to do with that wood let me know, i may be able to help....

Posted by love rats | January 4, 2008 1:30 PM
16

Despite all the completely logical reasons to get rid of it, now that I'm on it every day (on a bus), I have to say I'll miss it when it goes. It's a beautiful ride even though the bus window, seeing the dinosaur cranes and watching the buildings come up in the dusk.

Oh well.

Posted by Abby | January 4, 2008 1:34 PM
17

@ #3 - I'm right there with you. I'll buy front row seats to watch that bitch blow herself up. She's an illegitimate governor anyway.

@ #5 - I was thinking the same thing. She cheated on the first election, so maybe by now she knows how to rig the system a few more times.

@ #12 - Let's tear it down now! It's typical of a governor to "plan" the execution of something after they leave office.

I'm just sayin

Reality Check

Posted by Reality Check (the original Reality Check to the loser that copied me) | January 4, 2008 1:37 PM
18

Gurl!

Posted by Mr. Poe | January 4, 2008 1:48 PM
19

Frankly, I'm just thrilled to have a post that doesn't have anything to do with the fucking presidential race...ENOUGH ALREADY!

If i wanted non-stop coverage and constant post game analysis, I'll go read a "real" news site.

it's to the point i'm starting to miss the usual mass of posts on bird flu, bicyclists rights, balconyettes, full frontal male nudity, Mars Hill and mass transit ennui.

Posted by michael strangeways | January 4, 2008 2:01 PM
20

@2 -- I'm with you, but I don't think we need to call her a "b"-word. I think "decisive leader" works just fine.

I've never been that impressed with her, but da-ha-yum, today I sure am!

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | January 4, 2008 2:08 PM
21

She's going to send pit bulls to attack it.

Posted by monkey | January 4, 2008 2:08 PM
22

No no, you all have it wrong. She is giving the City of Seattle time to think of a plan since it will take until 2012 for them to figure out what to do ;)

But yeah, pretty ballsy.. that's for sure.

Posted by Brian | January 4, 2008 2:29 PM
23

About frickin time.

Posted by Will in Seattle | January 4, 2008 2:55 PM
24

Gregoire has bought off far more than we are able to chew much less digest by her naive claim that the way to solve the Viaduct mess is to "...stop thinking about replacement of the Alaska Way Viaduct and start thinking about how do we do transportation in all of Seattle from I-5 to the waterfront..."

Those are brave wholistic words but by expanding the problem to encompass every street in the city she has made it all the more difficult to come up with a solution to the Viaduct. Once you get everyone involved in figuring out on whose street the Viaduct traffic will be dispersed it will obviously stay where it is.

My bet? We'll end up repairing the Viaduct because we don't have the money and will to do anything else, which is a fine solution and what we should have done in the first place. I've been saying this for 3-4 years now and the political comedy is still going on with no end in sight, no matter what the Governor may hope.

Posted by David Sucher | January 4, 2008 3:23 PM
25

Sorry to come in so late in the story, but what exactly is "The Viaduct", what happened to it, and why does everyone want it blown up?

Posted by Mike in MO | January 4, 2008 4:20 PM
26

Mike in Mo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Way_Viaduct

That covers all the basics... search the Slog if you'd like to learn more. :)

Posted by Phelix | January 4, 2008 4:27 PM
27

@25,

Even though I can cite chapter and verse of the Great Viaduct Debate of 2001-Present, you are awesome.

Posted by asdf | January 4, 2008 4:38 PM
28

I'm pleased that she said it, but I'd be a lot happier if she said we're going to rebuild the fucking seawall right now.

SERIOUSLY. GUYS. THE FUCKING SEAWALL.

The problems with the Viaduct (which are many) and the its danger to the public (which is pretty big) would be significantly reduced by REPLACING THE FUCKING SEAWALL.

Seriously.

Posted by Greg | January 4, 2008 5:05 PM
29

Not being a moron, I like our legally elected governor. That's the same intellectual capacity that makes me despise our unelected, supreme court appointed President.

Reality check, indeed....

But beyond that, I'm glad someone is actually putting a deadline in place for SOMETHING to happen.

I've mellowed on my opinion of that monstrosity. I don't care if they replace it. I don't care if they tear it down. But if they do replace it, I think it should be paid for with tolls. Just like how the new 520 bridge should be paid for.

And yes whatever takes the place of the viaduct should include a new seawall.

Posted by catalina vel-duray | January 4, 2008 6:03 PM
30

I told you to have the Public Intern take the viaduct down, but did you listen? NOOOOOOOOO....

Any replacement should have a six-lane superhighway, a tunnel, a new seawall, a monorail, and another viaduct on top of it all.

And a pony. I want a fuckin' pony.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | January 4, 2008 6:42 PM
31

Maybe she will ask some released convicted felons to tear it down. Oh wait, that wouldn't be pandering to the labor unions.

Posted by Marmstro | January 4, 2008 9:11 PM
32

Thank you, 31, for that particularly retarded comment. Did you make it up yourself, or did you hear John Carlson say it?

Posted by We all know the answer.... | January 4, 2008 9:50 PM

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