If we must spend the money...

Along the waterfront, Seattle is blessed with a stretch of 1950's era elevated highway known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Ugly as sin, it soaks up a good-sized chunk of waterfront real estate that developers lust after, and high on the list of "things likely to pancake in the next big quake" - the Viaduct, we are told, must be replaced ASAP.

However, it works. It diverts industrial traffic off of I-5, a fair number of commuters, and any plan (except in car-free fantasies) needs to figure out where those vehicles will go during construction and when the party is finally over, leaving us with something new and different.

While I'm not entirely sure that it's a "right now" kind of thing, folks have been mulling replacement options over for several years, and it appears inevitable that some kind of big project to "fix the viaduct" is going forward at some point "real soon now". Given that large highway structures going "splat" is usually a bad thing, I can understand a certain urgency....though with the current economy, I'm none to eager about the whole notion.

The first main option, beloved of our loonie Mayor Greg Nickels, is the "surface option" - knock over the viaduct and run all those semi's and cars through the downtown. This will assist in his efforts to discourage driving through increased misery, forcing the unwilling onto mass transit out of sheer pain avoidance.

The next option, refurbishing the Viaduct, offers the joys of spending *just as much* money as any of the other options (if not more), with no additional benefits. Same ugly critter, just less likely to go splat in the next quake. This is currently a long shot, as virtually nobody likes it.

The pet of the GOP candidate for Governor, Dino Rossi, is to replicate Boston's Big Dig along the Seattle Waterfront - complete with leaks and floods. And pretty darned expensive, too. Fortunately, the DEM Gov. has been waffling, so we've not yet seen how she'll outdo Rossi in the boondoggle Olympics.

So far, the least horrid option with a modicum of splat-resistance and a splash of sanity (i.e., preserving or expanding carrying capacity), was fowarded by Wa. Speaker of the House Frank Chopp - he who must not be peeved, for he may view you as small, crunchy, and tasty with ketchup. A mega-viaduct with retail below and a park on top - and best of all, likely to make Mayor Nickels head explode, along with the entrenched anti-car and liberal elite crowds...

Now if we can get a Gun-O-Rama installed on the retail level, it'll be perfect....