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Say goodbye to viaduct, hello to SR 99 Tunnel at weekend celebration

SEATTLE — If you want to get a sneak peek inside the new SR 99 Tunnel and say goodbye to the Alaskan Way Viaduct, Saturday is your chance.

Thousands are expected to attend.

Though tickets for everything but the tunnel walk and the fun run are already sold out, you can still attend the celebration, but be prepared to wait in line.

The Washington State Department of Transportation's grand opening celebration, dubbed Step Forward includes an 8k fun run, family activities, and art festival on the viaduct. There is also a walking tour of the SR 99 Tunnel. Those events are on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Free tickets are assigned by times, point of entry and the activities you want to attend, but as of Tuesday morning, tickets for events on the viaduct were sold out, except tickets to the fun run, which participants must sign up for separately.

Just want to see the tunnel?

There were still timed tickets available to see the SR 99 Tunnel as of Tuesday morning. Get them at this link.

Attending without a ticket

If you couldn't get a ticket, all is not lost.  While ticketholders will have a dedicated line, there will be walk-up lines for access to the viaduct at the Seneca Street ramp and through the Battery Street tunnel as well as for access to the tunnel.

WSDOT said it believes the best arrival times for un-ticketed guests will be between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Though the plan is to grant entry to all un-ticketed guests, you may not get access if the wait extends past the festival’s 6:30 p.m. end time.

>>Get more information about the celebration here.

Bike ride through the tunnel

On Sunday, the Cascade Bicycle Club is holding a ride through the tunnel, however, it is sold out.

Road closures during celebration

See a map of street closures for the SR 99 grand opening event at this link [PDF].

When is the tunnel opening?

WSDOT says the work to realign SR 99 into the tunnel is on schedule for the target opening date of Feb. 4. However, WSDOT has not yet announced the official opening date and time.

More questions about the tunnel and routes?