Viaduct “scenario” side note: West Seattle Bridge deja vu?

Our summary last night of the newly unveiled Alaskan Way Viaduct “scenarios” included that one — Scenario E — which envisions buildings beneath a new single-deck elevated structure (which in turn would have a green-space “lid”). In an odd coincidence, WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli had just a few days earlier sent us this:

He found it in the municipal archives — some sort of prototype for a new West Seattle Bridge, proposed in the ’70s, with residential and business spaces built into the structure. The fabulous history book West Side Story discusses three high-level-bridge designs presented at a February 1972 public hearing, followed by years of squabbling over bridge-building (sound familiar?) until finally the 1978 freighter crash forced the issue — but we don’t know if this was one of the three, or just a fanciful scenario.

JoB June 27, 2008 (1:42 pm)

now that’s cool…

ahhh.. what might have been:)

Pete June 27, 2008 (2:05 pm)

AND you can resta ssured that thisd one will in all likelihood be the next one eliminated based upon commments of the Viaduct Stateholders group last night.

Aaron June 27, 2008 (2:30 pm)

Wow, that’s awesome. Utilize that dead space!

rockergirl June 27, 2008 (2:46 pm)

Very cool – we really do need 3 – 4 lanes going each way through the city on the new viaduct – one of those for carpools/busses and one for trains – why does the city have to waste so much money for something that is so common sense to the everyday person. Quit studying and proposing and do something please!

Dan June 27, 2008 (3:07 pm)

2 lanes in each direction? Is that what I’m seeing?
Are they kidding? It’s three and four (at places) now
and it’s beyond capacity as it is. Why rebuild it smaller
than what we have?

GenHillOne June 27, 2008 (5:16 pm)

Very cool use of space; I can’t believe someone actually thought of that 30 years ago too. BUT, agreed on the four lanes. Ridiculous. And all of the proposed plans have four? Double ridiculous. Take one of those levels, make bus and carpool lanes – with wide, safe bike lanes to boot – and then we’re talking.

flipjack June 27, 2008 (5:45 pm)

Whatever you do don’t do anything that makes sense… consistency is more important!

miws June 27, 2008 (9:47 pm)

Wow! That concept bridge with the residential and business is interesting!

As WSB mentioned, there were three proposed designs. Another one, besides the above, is shown in ~~the West Seattle Bible~~ Westside Story. It is a cable-stayed bridge, similar in design to the above, except without the res/bus, of course, plus it has a cable support tower, at about the point of where the roadway straightens out, and reaches it’s highest point, before descending westward.

Also from West Side Story, towards the back of the book in the “Gallery” is a sketch of a vision of the future, along with the following caption:

…..Above: the Seattle Argus magazine’s Dec 21, 1895, illustration of a multi-level, three-mile long suspension bridge between West Seattle and Seattle envisioned for the year 1995. Airplanes were depicted as giant, flapping crates on wheels. The bridges piers advertised Cre-ta-ta Tartar and Novelty Flour. Even Mt Rainier appeared as a giant billboard.”

The ad on the Mountain reads “Drink Rainier Beer”. And the “airplanes” look like giant crates, as mentioned in the quote, plus they had huge, bat-like wings protruding from either side of the “crate”, and a large umbrella looking thingy over the top of it.

Mike