Friday afternoon, Reps. Carlyle and Dickerson and I hosted the second in a series of hands-on community tours exploring the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project. More than 30 community members and representatives from stakeholder groups attended the event, which focused on the central waterfront and seawall portions of the mega-project.

We held the tours so that the public has a baseline level of information about the project. We are striving for an open process that addresses the concerns stakeholders have voiced.

Ron Paananen and Mark Bandy of WSDOT, Bob Chandler and Steve Pearce of Seattle DOT, Ron Posthuma of King County DOT, and Mike Merritt of the Port of Seattle were on hand to explain the current stage of the project and what the next steps will be. Many were pleased to learn that utility relocation work has already begun, and an environmental impact assessment and soil testing are currently underway. Additionally, WSDOT on Sept. 15 issued a request for qualifications to contractors interested in the bored-tunnel project.

I couldn’t be more pleased that this very important project is moving forward.