Is there a pool as to when it will go? Winner gets a blood stained chunk of the wreckage...

Don't be so smarmy. You don't know as much as you think you do.

And environmental & bike groups seem to be so anti-car & anti-people, they'll oppose anything that might even appear to help people who have to use cars instead of bikes. When it collapses & kills people, they;ll be happy as long as cars are also destroyed.

That's why the Sierra Club actually opposes any new public transit money -- they don't want to see any new parking lots that people would use at metro stops.

It will be ironic if the Viaduct collapses jammed with people heading to one of the two top ten most expensive stadiums in the country.

Only three of the columns were sinking and it only took 7 years to put slurry under them which has stopped the sinking. A big enough quake to bring down the entire viaduct will kill far more people in buildings.

The 2001 earthquake was a chance to remodel the waterfront when the tunnel failed it was no longer as dangerous.

Yes, more damage would have been done if the earthquake would have lasted over twice as long as it did and had that happened more people would have been hurt and killed in Pioneer Square than on the Viaduct.

If the seawall is as bad as they said before the tunnel vote, then it should be fixed now.

But comparing to other cities doesn't seem to work, so I'll try something else: comparing Seattle with its own suburbs. The city of Bothell is on the verge of approving the conversion (PDF) of the intersection of highways 522 and 527 for greater pedestrian access, including a multiway boulevard like Octavia for the first five blocks of 527 (the Bothell-Everett Highway). The main intersection serves 44,000 vehicles per day.

If Bothell can make this work, surely Seattle can get its shit together, tear down the viaduct, and put in a multiway boulevard in its place.

If we continue trying to Seattle this, the Gov will just rebuild the Viaduct to modern engineering standards.

It will happen - no matter how much the nabobs try to talk it to death.

But hey, I'm just some asshole on the internet. Let's hear what an expert has to say:

So what would happen to the viaduct if that 10-percent-in- 50-years earthquake hit?


It all depends, and it's hard to say.

It depends on how strong the quake is and where it is centered. The Nisqually Quake originated deep below the surface and 60 miles away -- and to the south, which means its shock waves rippled mostly along the length of the viaduct, causing less damage than if they had slammed into it broadside, Coffman said. Ground shaking lasted about 15 seconds, which seems within the viaduct's tolerance, he said.


With stronger vibrations, the most likely breakdown would come in the columns, he said. An exact Cypress freeway scenario is unlikely, he said, because that structure contained a specific flaw midway up the columns, but intense shaking could cause the Alaskan Way Viaduct to come apart and the decks to pancake.


To Kramer, soil liquefaction poses the greater danger. A strong quake would drive the soil downslope toward the bay, and the 70-year-old sea wall likely would burst under the pressure, he said. The bases of the viaduct columns could move up to 10 feet off center.


"It's a brittle structure," he said. "It's going to snap like a piece of chalk."

I could go on, but for now, can't we just fix the viaduct so we stop talking about it as a problem and get on with solving other needed issues such as, affordable housing.
If we keep opting for unnecessary expensive solutions and increasing the cost to live in the City, the Central Waterfront will only be enjoyed by neighboring fat-cats and tourists.
Art

I could go on, but for now, can't we just fix the viaduct so we stop talking about it as a problem and get on with solving other needed issues such as, affordable housing.
If we keep opting for unnecessary expensive solutions and increasing the cost to live in the City, the Central Waterfront will only be enjoyed by neighboring fat-cats and tourists.
Art

I first visited Seattle as a teenager and thought the waterfront was ugly and full of cement. But as a resident, the viaduct gave me an excellent view when I drove from West Seattle to downtown. There are so many places to enjoy the beauty of this area, I would rather see wise spending for a retrofit. The cost of losing 520 would be enormous to this region.