SEATTLE — Contractors are expected to begin demolishing the Seneca Street off-ramp from the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle next week.
It’s the third viaduct ramp that crews will demolish after finishing work on the Columbia Street on-ramp and Western Avenue off-ramp in April.
As soon as next Wednesday the Seneca ramp will be removed starting with the end that’s connected to the viaduct. Crews will use a hoe ram to break up the roadway and a saw and crane to remove girders and columns, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Construction is expected to cause several road closures, including Western Avenue, which will be closed for up to 20 days. WSDOT says portions of University and Seneca streets will also face closures.
Work on the Seneca Street ramp is expected to continue until early June.
Removal of the Elliott Street on-ramp, which will be the fourth and final viaduct ramp to be demolished, is not expected to begin until early June.
Meanwhile, crews continue to fill in the Battery Street Tunnel with rubble from the viaduct. This week workers are expected to begin filling the tunnel from the roadway above using funnels.
The entire viaduct demolition is expected to last through summer, with the waterfront portion slated for completion at the end of June.
Watch demolition work on our viaduct cam, which updates every five minutes. App users, click here.
