Goodbye to a Seattle Landmark by Violet

Seattle is losing a landmark - the Alaskan Way Viaduct is coming down. We are at the beginning of the process of replacing this aging and ugly elevated highway with the best view in town. Here in Seattle it’s been an epic battle over how to replace it, multiple votes, council meetings and court cases. No one really seems to agree on anything other than it need to be replaced. But we are forging ahead with a deep-bore tunnel which means that we are saying goodbye to the old girl.

Demo getting started

The first day it closed the city let people walk on it without traffic before tearing it down. Since this is a roadway that JP and I take just about every day it seemed like something we needed to check out.

In classic Seattle style, it was raining pretty hard for the Viaduct’s last day. It was pretty easy to spot where to go since there were more than a few other people who wanted to say their goodbyes as well.

We trucked up on the onramp and got as close as we could to the big machinery already starting demo.

I have to say it was a pretty neat experience to walk on a roadway that I have driven too many times to count. It’s a way different view.

Even though the Viaduct is pretty ugly it was hard not to get a little bit nostalgic for the thing. It has clearly found its way into the hearts of a great many Seattleites.

I was especially grateful to the city for allowing us the opportunity to give the Viaduct a walking goodbye. And, the best part, the opportunity to take a little piece of it home.

JP with his piece to take home

Violet in Saucony Jazz - Red/White