SEATTLE — Though painful for drivers now, the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct in downtown Seattle promises to be the start of better days to come.
The demolition of the hulking, concrete double-decker highway will make way for a revitalized Seattle waterfront. The process is strikingly similar to what San Francisco went through with its version of the viaduct, known as the Embarcadero Freeway.
After years of public debate and discourse over what to do with the ugly structure that acted as a barrier between the waterfront and city, the Embarcadero Freeway was eventually torn down in 1991.
"You have the same thing in Seattle. Opening up your waterfront will have a very dramatic effect," said Paul Menzies, CEO of Laconia Development. Menzies is developing SPIRE in Seattle, a condo development in the Belltown neighborhood opening in 2020, that will feel the impact of a revitalized Seattle waterfront.
"Massive development along the waterfront in San Francisco followed the opening up of the Embarcadero, and it was an incredible event," he said. "Now what you have along the waterfront are restaurants, various recreational opportunities. That surprised people."
Seattle's viaduct is set to be torn after the new Highway 99 tunnel opens. Demolition is expected to be complete by late Summer. Plans for the waterfront include new walkways and expansion of recreational space.
"This is like San Francisco, with just a little more rain," said Menzies.
