Anti-tunnel measure qualifies for vote

A King County judge ruled on Friday that part of a referendum blocking construction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct bored tunnel replacement can go to voters of Seattle this August.

The Seattle City Council had approved agreements with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) concerning right-of-way, utilities and preliminary design, among other issues in February. A group of citizens, Protect Seattle Now, produced enough signatures to make a referendum putting these agreements to a public vote.

Judge Laura Gene Middaugh ruled that only a portion of the agreements qualify, and has asked lawyers from the anti-tunnel group to provide more information by this Friday about the scope of the measure to be put on the ballot before she makes a final ruling.

The state’s transportation secretary, Paula Hammond, warns that delays to the project, including not having the agreements in place, could add USD 54M to the overall price.

WSDOT signed the USD 1.35bn design-build contract with Seattle Tunnel Partners—a joint venture of Dragados and Tutor Perini—on 6 January for the proposed two-level, 1.7-mile (2.7km) bored tunnel.