Date:  Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Contact:

Amy Grotefendt, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program, 206-295-9846 (cell) (Seattle)
Kristy Van Ness, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program, 206-805-2881 (Seattle), 206-300-4312 (cell)

SEATTLE – The results from a new survey show 62 percent of people in and around Seattle support replacing the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct with a bored tunnel after learning key details about the project.

“This survey helped us understand how effective our outreach efforts have been so far,” said Paula Hammond, secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). “We will use the results of this survey to refine our outreach and add to what we hear during the public comment period on the environmental analysis about the tunnel.”

One thousand registered voters were interviewed about the viaduct-replacement options that are currently part of the environmental review process, as well as other options suggested by the public.

“Replacing the viaduct has long been a controversial project, but this survey shows that after learning information about the project, people think the proposed bored tunnel is the right solution,” said Ron Paananen, WSDOT’s Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program Administrator. “In addition to strong support for the bored tunnel, there was a significant majority that support maintaining or increasing capacity in the SR 99 corridor.”

The random-sample survey was paid for by WSDOT and conducted by EMC Research.

The survey also shows:

• An overwhelming majority think vehicle capacity in the SR 99 corridor should be increased or kept the same as today: 47 percent say capacity should be increased, and 42 percent say it should be kept the same as today.
• Congestion remains an important issue: Traffic congestion is a key concern and 78 percent believe removing the viaduct without replacing it will make congestion in and around downtown Seattle worse, and 62 percent say they would be directly impacted if the viaduct was permanently closed without a replacement.
• People are paying attention, but not to the details: Although 84 percent say they have been paying attention to the debate over what to do about the viaduct, only 27 percent say they are aware the current plan is to replace the viaduct with a bored tunnel.
• When provided with the details, a strong majority think the bored tunnel is a good idea: At the beginning of the survey, 42 percent think the bored tunnel is a good idea, 31 percent think it is a bad idea, and 27 percent are unsure. After hearing basic information about the project, such as its ability to keep the existing viaduct open during construction and a design allowing it to withstand a 2,500-year earthquake, 62 percent think the bored tunnel is a good idea while 31 percent continue to think it is a bad idea.

The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 points. Complete results are available at http://www.alaskanwayviaduct.org/.

Meanwhile, WSDOT is issuing additional instructions and contract requirements to design-build teams this week for bored tunnel proposals due to WSDOT Oct. 28. WSDOT has started to allocate a portion of the $415 million risk and inflation pool to the design-build contract. The $1.96 billion estimate to build the tunnel does not change.

In order to effectively manage risk, WSDOT will compensate the design-build contractors for insurance costs and projected inflation. Costs associated with the relocation of city-owned utilities will be reimbursed by the city of Seattle.

Later this month, the Federal Highway Administration, WSDOT and the city of Seattle will release the latest Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project. It analyzes the bored tunnel alternative and builds upon the review of previous alternatives.

Once the official document is released Oct. 29, the public will have an opportunity to review it and will have 45 days to submit comments on its analysis. For more information on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement program, visit http://www.alaskanwayviaduct.org/.

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