Demolition of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct reached a dramatic point this week as tear-down came within 10 feet of buildings near the waterfront.
Crews hoisted a thick curtain to act as a barrier between the construction work and occupied structures.
The Washington Department of Transportation posted the following progress chart of viaduct demolition as of August 6:
The double-decker roadway was built in the 1950s and sustained damaged in the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. The viaduct had routine checks for stability, but was determined as vulnerable to more seismic activity.
Crews have been removing the viaduct since February 12, and work is projected to last six months.
Traffic from the viaduct was rerouted to the new Seattle tunnel under downtown, which opened February 4.
Viaduct removal is the key component of the city's Waterfront Seattle Program.
