Seattle May Get Borealis Avenue To Complement Aurora

SEATTLE, WA - It certainly won't be as beautiful as the Northern Lights, but there might soon be a new stretch of roadway near Aurora Avenue named Borealis Avenue.

In the wake of the closure of the Battery Street Tunnel (and the Alaskan Way Viaduct), the Seattle City Council is considering a few street name changes. The 300-foot sliver of road between Denny Way and Battery Street, an area known for its jam-packed bus stop and the Elephant Car Wash, would become Borealis Ave.

But technically, there won't be an intersection of Aurora and Borealis. The Council is also considering changing the name of Aurora between Denny and Harrison to 7th Avenue North.

When the new SR 99 tunnel opens next week, construction will begin on the stretch of Aurora between Harrison and Denny. The trench that goes into the Battery Street Tunnel will be filled in, and John, Thomas, and Harrison streets will be reconnected to the city grid.

It's a little confusing. Here's a map of what the area will look like:

The street re-naming proposals are in front of the Council Sustainability and Transportation Committee on Tuesday. If the committee signs off on the name change, the full Council will get to approve the re-naming.

Images courtesy SDOT, Google Maps