The days are numbered for Seattle's waterfront viaduct.
Washington's Department of Transportation named Tuesday the contractor selected to tear down the beloved roadway.
WSDOT is hiring Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.
Demolition costs are currently estimated around $93 million - that includes filling in the Battery Street Tunnel and reconnecting surface streets north of the SR 99 tunnel.
"We are excited to be so close to removing the seismically vulnerable viaduct and ushering in a new era on Seattle's waterfront," said Brian Nielsen, WSDOT's Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program Administrator.
Once the contract is finalized and the design work is approved, a timeline will be set.
WSDOT expects most of the demolition work to take place in 2019. It will take two years to remove equipment and fill in the Battery Street Tunnel.
"It will be challenging to tear down a major highway in the heart of a booming city but we're looking forward to getting it done safely and as quickly as possible," said Nielsen.
The new SR 99 tunnel could open this fall.
