Seattle Viaduct's Final Column Removed From The Waterfront

SEATTLE, WA — After nearly 70 years, the Alaskan Way Viaduct is no more. WSDOT demolition crews lifted the final column from a hillside near Pike Place Market on Thursday morning. The two-level elevated freeway carried cars past the waterfront since the 1950s. It was damaged in the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, and lingering seismic safety concerns led to its eventual replacement: a long-delayed deep-bore tunnel that opened to drivers in February. Demolition work began soon after and required careful work to avoid damage to nearby structures.

"Nothing about this job was easy," Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar said in a statement Thursday. "The demolition project was a remarkable accomplishment as the viaduct stood perilously close to buildings and utilities and a critical rail corridor."

According to WSDOT, the demolition netted more than 240 million pounds of concrete to recycle, and 15 million pounds of steel rebar. Those wishing to claim a piece of history can do so on the Seattle waterfront, between noon and 5 p.m., until Sunday.

While the demolition project is now complete, work to decommission the Battery Street tunnel will continue until 2021. Several projects to reshape the entire waterfront, and transform the Alaskan Way surface street, are scheduled until 2024.