Seattle anti-tunnel initiative moves forward

A petition to stop construction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel has been submitted to Seattle City Hall on Tuesday.

The ‘Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel’ or SCAT group secured more than 27,000 signatures for its I-101 Stop the Tunnel initiative, which would put to public vote, preventing the city from using right-of-way for the bored tunnel’s construction.

Only 20,629 signatures were needed to qualify, and SCAT had hoped I-101 would be on a May election ballot, but it will be unlikely the county’s election officials will have enough time to validate the all signatures.

This could be problematic for the anti-tunnel group. The next election is in autumn, and groundbreaking for the tunnel is scheduled for August.

Next Monday the Seattle City Council will vote on utility and land-use agreements with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Mayor Mike McGinn, who is opposed to the tunnel, said he will veto the agreements, though the City Council has a pro-tunnel majority and could overturn his veto.

McGinn would prefer a surface level option, and said he fears the city is not protected from any future cost overruns from the tunnel project.

WSDOT signed a 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. The final environmental impact statement for the project will be published this summer.