(WSB photos and video by Cliff DesPeaux)
That site near the SODO stadiums is a dirt lot now, but it’ll be transformed into a detour route during the heart of the southern Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project is under way. WSDOT just opened bids today for the south-end project and says all six bids were below the agency’s $152 million estimate – the apparent low bidder (a verification/review process is still ahead) is Skanska USA Civil from Riverside, California, at $114 million. (Next lowest, two bids at $127 million; highest was $142 million, still $10 million below the estimate.)
The work starts this summer – here’s what you’ll see first – and is expected to employ more than 600 people.
Photojournalist Cliff DesPeaux covered the WSDOT announcement event for WSB; Viaduct project leader Ron Paananen and state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond showed off an orange-painted column marking the northern end of the southern replacement zone:
ADDED 4:22 PM: Here’s what Hammond told reporters at the scene (note that despite what’s on the video, the low bid was actually $114 million as noted above):
Three weeks ago, we covered the South Portal Working Group meeting at which Viaduct project managers reviewed the construction schedule five years into the future – until even the central part of the structure is to be demolished – if you missed that story, see it here.
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