The Alaskan Way Seawall is a
seawall which runs for approximately 7,166 feet (2,184 m) along the
Elliott Bay waterfront southwest of
downtown Seattle from Bay Street to S. Washington Street.[1]
The seawall is being rebuilt in the 2010s as part of a waterfront redevelopment
megaproject estimated to cost over $1 billion.[2]
History
The seawall was built to provide level access to Seattle's
piers and supports the
Alaskan Way Viaduct and
Alaskan Way itself, which is a surface street. Completed in 1934, the seawall was built on top of wood
piling.[citation needed]
The
Washington State Department of Transportation states that there is a 1-in-20 chance that it could be shut down by an earthquake within the next decade,[4] and so plans have been underway to replace both seawall and viaduct.
The seawall rebuild project was estimated to cost $350 million as part of an overall waterfront redevelopment budgeted in 2012 at $1.07 billion.[2][5] The project is funded by a
bond measure that was approved by Seattle voters in the November 2012 general election.[6] Construction began in 2013 and was completed in 2017, more than a year late and costing $410 million.[7][8][9]