Local

WSDOT says viaduct demolition 90 percent complete

SEATTLE — Some of the last pieces of the Alaskan Way Viaduct are starting to come down.

The Washington State Department of Transportation says demolition is 90 percent complete.

That includes the removal of the Marion Street pedestrian bridge to the Colman Dock ferry terminal on the Seattle waterfront. Overnight Thursday, crews began removing the section of bridge that spans Alaskan Way.

By Friday morning, the bridge was gone. Crews will then begin removing one of the last remaining double-deck sections of the viaduct.

The work there is expected to be completed by the end of September.  Read more about the demolition in that area here.

WSDOT says ferry passengers should visit the Colman Dock construction page for updates on a new pedestrian bridge on Columbia Street.

There are still three other sections left to come down: The ramps at Western, a portion near the stadiums, and a standalone section in Pioneer Square.

Next week, there will be a significant traffic disruption when work to tear down the South Dearborn Street section begins.

Dearborn will close for ten days starting Sept. 12 so crews can remove the viaduct segment that spans the road near First Avenue South. Crews will remove the section from both the north and the south, meeting in the middle.

First Avenue South will be reduced to two lanes.  Dearborn is scheduled to reopen Sept. 22.

WSDOT says it will pull viaduct demolition work zones back so that Alaskan Way has its full four lanes open while Dearborn is closed, but drivers should expect more congestion and consider taking alternate routes or using public transportation.

During the closure, Metro buses will be rerouted to Fourth Avenue.  Metro says West Seattle and Burien-area bus routes heading south will move off First Avenue and instead use Second Avenue to connect to Fourth Avenue beginning Monday.

Read more about the bus reroutes at this link.