Update from WSDOT

Milepost 31 Speaker Series – Construction: A Look Back, A Look Ahead

It’s been a busy year for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program. Join us as we recap construction highlights from 2012. You’ll also get a sneak peek at what’s coming up in 2013, including the arrival of the boring machine and the start of tunneling!

6 to 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 1

Milepost 31 (www.milepost31.org)

211 First Ave. S., Seattle

Admission is free.

 After the talk, be sure to leave enough time to explore the rest of the First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square. Milepost 31 is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and stays open until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays.

Free parking is available for First Thursday art walk patrons in Pioneer Square. Please visit www.FirstThursdaySeattle.com for more information about participating garages.

Kids, it’s time to play…Name that tunneling machine!

The Washington State Department of Transportation is sponsoring a contest for kindergarten through 12th grade students to name the State Route 99 tunnel boring machine, which is the largest-diameter boring machine built to date. In mid-2013, it will start tunneling beneath downtown Seattle, creating the replacement for the central waterfront section of the viaduct. The contest winner will have their selected name painted on the machine and will be invited to attend the dedication event next year in Seattle.

Contest deadline:

Entries are due by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13. A contestant’s entry must include a name for the machine and a 200-word-or-less description of why they chose it.

Three ways to enter:

  • Online at www.alaskanwayviaduct.org.
  • In person at Milepost 31 (www.milepost31.org), 211 First Ave. S, Seattle.
  • By mail – Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, Attn: Natalie Graves, 999 Third Ave., Suite 2424, Seattle, WA 98104.

Check the WSDOT website (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/viaduct/TBMName) for contest details, rules and restrictions.

 

AWV Program launches new website

We are pleased to announce that the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program has launched a new program website (www.alaskanwayviaduct.org). It consolidates WSDOT’s viaduct-related projects into a streamlined site with easy access to important news and construction information. From WSDOT green to construction orange, it also showcases our new program brand, which celebrates that we are nose-deep in construction all along the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor. On the updated site, be sure to check out the latest construction camera (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/viaduct/Traffic/ConstructionCam) angle, that gives you a bird’s-eye view of the tunnel launch pit.