Deep-Bored Tunnel Approval Advances Washington's Future

Mike Wussow

With good cause, many people thought it might never happen. But on Friday, after seemingly endless debate and consideration, the Washington State legislature put its final stamp of approval on the decision to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep-bored tunnel.

There's a lot to this story, politically and logistically. Ultimately, however, the success of the deep-bored tunnel alternative (agreed to by Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, and King County Executive Ron Sims), is a story of persistence, thoughtful analysis tethered to an understanding of advances in tunneling technology, and the triumph of consensus and cautious deliberation amongst a constellation of constituencies.

Cascadia Center was there every step of the way -- especially when the going got tough. Bruce Chapman, President and Founder of Cascadia Center's parent organization, Discovery Institute, wraps up the story nicely in this post.

Without Cascadia, as Friday's article from The Daily Journal of Commerce shows below, it wouldn't have been possible for tunneling experts to be assembled last fall to challenge the pessimistic numbers presented by the Department of Transportation that made a tunnel option seem unfeasible.

For coverage of the issue from tee to green, visit this section of Cascadia's website.