335:
388:. A revised design from SDOT to move a portion of the lane near Pier 62 to the east side of Alaskan Way drew criticism from local bicycling activists. An updated plan for the bicycle lane, announced in July 2023, would close the lane on days with cruise ship arrivals and departures but leave it otherwise open. During days with closures, cyclists would be redirected to a shared-use path on the east side of Alaskan Way for several blocks. The new pedestrian and cycle track on the east side of Alaskan Way is planned to be constructed in the former Waterfront Streetcar tracks and funded by a $ 45 million grant pledged by
32:
225:
284:
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actually needed to access the waterfront had to use
Railroad Avenue; other trains could bypass the busy corridor. Still, there continued to be problems with the structural integrity of the planked roadway. Pilings had been driven into soft tideland substrates, waves caused continual damage, and railroad freight cars continually stressed the structure. Between 1911 and 1916, a concrete
125:
120:
110:
313:
295:
Federal funds supplemented a local levy to allow the city to extend the seawall northward to Bay Street, which was completed in 1936. On July 6, 1936, the city council renamed
Railroad Avenue to Alaskan Way, with "Pacific Way" and "Cosmos Quay" also under consideration. A citizen's committee convened
350:
for the
Alaskan Way Viaduct was completed, leading to the closure and demolition of the old viaduct. Starting in February 2019 (when the tunnel opened) and to be completed over six months, the old viaduct was demolished to make way for new development along Seattle's downtown waterfront, including
275:
Around 1900, Railroad Avenue was a chaos of horses and buggies, pedestrians, and rail cars, with multiple railroad tracks and sidings. The congestion of the rail corridor was somewhat relieved when the Great
Northern built a rail tunnel (1903–1906) under Downtown. From that time, only traffic that
354:
In
October 2018, Alaskan Way was temporarily shifted west to facilitate the demolition of the viaduct. The rebuilt Alaskan Way surface street will consist of up to 8 lanes of traffic along its lower section, including two lanes in each direction for general traffic, one lane in each direction for
372:
villages on
Elliott Bay. The designation was approved by the city council in February 2023 and applies to the section between Dearborn Street and Pike Street. It also includes Elliott Way, a four-lane street connecting Alaskan Way near Pike Place Market to Belltown that opened in May.
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rather than on pilings. The moniker was adopted in 1936 by the city council after a lengthy debate over the name of the city's new waterfront promenade, with the winning suggesting coming from the Alaska-Yukon
Pioneers Association to honor the
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263:
neighborhood to
University Street near today's Harbor Steps burned in the Great Fire, as did most of the city and most of its piers. All were soon rebuilt on a grander scale. In the case of Railroad Avenue, this was largely the work of the
355:
transit, and two turn lanes for ferry access. This new configuration has faced criticism from local businesses and residents; however, the configuration was deemed necessary by city and state transportation officials.
309:. Other front-runners included Pacific Way, Seawall Avenue, Maritime Drive, and Cosmos Quay. In the early 1950s, the Alaskan Way Viaduct was built, paralleling Alaskan Way for much of its distance.
252:
of 1889. Railroad Avenue was built as a planked roadway on pilings over the waters of
Elliott Bay. South of Downtown, the rail line constituted the one major man-made feature in an area of
317:
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had chosen "The
Pierway" out of 9,000 public suggestions, but it was also not considered by the council. Railroad Avenue was replaced by Alaskan Way, along the same route but built on
417:
782:
834:
808:
756:
377:
882:
385:
272:. The tideflats were steadily filled in, placing the rails south of Downtown—and the route of the southern portion of today's Alaskan Way—on dry land.
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at Pier 70 (Broad Street). A new bicycle lane on the west side was proposed to begin construction in 2023, but its design was opposed by the
924:
245:
347:
200:. It follows a route known in the late 19th century as the "Ram's Horn" because of its shape. The street gave its name to the
66:
358:
In April 2023, the central section of Alaskan Way was given an honorary name, Dzidzilalich, which was derived from the
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37:
890:
Draft Environmental Impact Statement: SR 99: Alaskan Way Viaduct & Seawall Replacement Project
1221:
1112:
1102:
1024:
970:
584:"Seattle's SR99 tunnel opening pushed to early 2019, viaduct to close 3 weeks ahead in early Jan"
301:
260:
197:
1169:
237:
189:
1216:
1174:
280:
strengthened the portion of the waterfront between S. Washington Street and Madison Street.
1184:
1076:
949:
883:"Appendix M: Archaeological Resources and Traditional Cultural Places Technical Memorandum"
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The bicycle lanes on the new promenade are planned to end near Pier 62, with a gap to the
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Alaskan Way with the semi-demolished sections of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, seen from
1138:
224:
209:
1117:
1097:
997:
783:"Can a new bike path on Seattle's waterfront work for cyclists and cruise ships?"
469:
393:
381:
369:
709:"'8-lane highway' on Seattle's waterfront? Critics challenge post-viaduct plan"
1243:
1107:
1092:
733:
397:
339:
835:"Melinda French Gates, MacKenzie Scott to help transform Seattle waterfront"
463:
Seattle Central Waterfront Tour, Part 6: From Railroad Avenue to Alaskan Way
36:
Aerial view of Alaskan Way under reconstruction in 2022, looking north from
1133:
351:
the reconstruction of Alaskan Way itself, which will be completed in 2024.
297:
212:. The northern section of Alaskan Way is also signed as its honorary name,
193:
809:"Seattle has a plan for Alaskan Way bike lane. Here's what was negotiated"
192:. The right-of-way continues northwest through the park, just west of the
1034:
1029:
757:"New street signs honor first name of Seattle's waterfront: Dzidzilalich"
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422:
359:
173:
136:
283:
1143:
1039:
1019:
902:
881:
Larson Anthropological Archaeological Services Limited (March 2004),
253:
180:—south of which it becomes East Marginal Way S.— to Broad Street in
259:
The portion of Railroad Avenue from Yesler Way in what is now the
991:
384:
due to potential conflicts with cruise ship passengers using the
277:
228:
Railroad Avenue, looking southeast from near Marion Street, 1900.
169:
84:
56:
557:"How the Name 'Alaskan Way' Came to Be (Hint: it Took Awhile)"
472:, HistoryLink, May 24, 2000. Accessed online 20 October 2008.
196:
mainline, and the roadway picks up again for a few blocks at
529:
Larson Anthropological Archaeological Services Limited 2004
498:
Larson Anthropological Archaeological Services Limited 2004
287:
Alaskan Way facing south from Bell Street with the former
1232:
All un-suffixed roads are streets unless otherwise noted.
612:"Cost to demolish Alaskan Way Viaduct pegged at $ 93.7M"
396:, the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, and the
176:
waterfront from just north of S. Holgate Street in the
232:
The idea of building a rail corridor along Seattle's
368:(meaning "little crossing-over place"), one of the
663:. Seattle Office of the Waterfront. Archived from
363:
1241:
892:, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc.
688:. Washington State Department of Transportation
641:. Washington State Department of Transportation
754:
918:
444:Seattle Public Utilities City Property Finder
755:Yoon-Hendricks, Alexandra (April 24, 2023).
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522:
520:
518:
493:
491:
489:
487:
925:
911:
457:
455:
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451:
30:
865:Seattle, Past to Present: Past to Present
706:
686:"Alaskan Way along Seattle's waterfront"
609:
515:
484:
333:
325:Alaskan Way during reconstruction works.
311:
282:
223:
448:
246:Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
1242:
932:
832:
806:
780:
906:
581:
410:
862:
707:Lindblom, Mike (November 16, 2016).
582:DeMay, Daniel (September 18, 2018).
509:
67:Seattle Department of Transportation
13:
867:, University of Washington Press,
736:. Seattle Office of the Waterfront
639:"Alaskan Way Viaduct - Demolition"
172:, Washington, that runs along the
14:
1261:
1086:Intersections, plazas and squares
833:Kroman, David (August 23, 2023).
734:"Honoring Seattle as Native Land"
541:"R. R. Avenue Now Alaskan Way".
329:
123:
118:
108:
826:
800:
774:
748:
726:
700:
678:
661:"Waterfront Seattle - Overview"
653:
631:
610:Lindblom, Mike (May 16, 2018).
603:
575:
807:Kroman, David (July 3, 2023).
781:Kroman, David (May 28, 2023).
549:
534:
503:
475:
437:
1:
856:
16:Street in Seattle, Washington
531:, p. 59 (p. 67 of PDF).
500:, p. 58 (p. 66 of PDF).
244:and the construction of the
7:
204:, which until 2019 carried
10:
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589:Seattle Post-Intelligencer
545:. July 7, 1937. p. 5.
219:
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982:Lake Washington Boulevard
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266:Northern Pacific Railroad
206:Washington State Route 99
151:
99:
91:
80:
76:1.5 mi (2.4 km)
72:
62:
52:
44:
29:
24:
992:University Way Northeast
403:
248:in the years before the
1222:R.H. Thomson Expressway
971:Cheasty Boulevard South
364:
1170:Spokane Street Viaduct
343:
326:
292:
270:Great Northern Railway
236:goes back at least to
229:
190:Olympic Sculpture Park
1175:State Route 99 Tunnel
337:
324:
286:
227:
1210:Never-built highways
1185:West Seattle Freeway
1077:Queen Anne Boulevard
863:Sale, Roger (1978),
390:Melinda French Gates
184:, north of which is
1201:Alaskan Way Viaduct
943:North–south streets
289:Alaskan Way Viaduct
202:Alaskan Way Viaduct
186:Myrtle Edwards Park
178:Industrial District
21:
1250:Streets in Seattle
987:Montlake Boulevard
935:Streets in Seattle
468:2011-07-11 at the
348:replacement tunnel
344:
327:
307:Klondike gold rush
293:
250:Great Seattle Fire
242:Daniel Hunt Gilman
234:Central Waterfront
230:
87:, Washington, U.S.
19:
1237:
1236:
1007:East–west streets
839:The Seattle Times
813:The Seattle Times
787:The Seattle Times
761:The Seattle Times
713:The Seattle Times
617:The Seattle Times
543:The Seattle Times
378:Elliott Bay Trail
346:In early 2019, a
322:
168:, is a street in
159:
158:
95:South King Street
1257:
1139:Nihonmachi Alley
1049:Diagonal streets
936:
927:
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561:Seattle Magazine
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386:Bell Harbor Pier
367:
323:
210:Downtown Seattle
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34:
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18:
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1205:
1194:Former highways
1189:
1148:
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1118:Westlake Square
1098:Occidental Park
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1065:
1044:
1002:
998:Westlake Avenue
938:
934:
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476:
470:Wayback Machine
460:
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428:
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411:
406:
394:MacKenzie Scott
382:Port of Seattle
332:
312:
222:
166:Railroad Avenue
147:
124:
119:
109:
101:
48:Railroad Avenue
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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1123:
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1103:Pioneer Square
1100:
1095:
1089:
1087:
1083:
1082:
1080:
1079:
1073:
1071:
1067:
1066:
1064:
1063:
1058:
1056:Madison Street
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1042:
1037:
1032:
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747:
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602:
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548:
533:
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436:
408:
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331:
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261:Pioneer Square
221:
218:
157:
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153:
152:North end
149:
148:
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143:Madison Street
140:
116:
105:
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92:South end
89:
88:
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45:Former name(s)
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38:Madison Street
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27:
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15:
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6:
4:
3:
2:
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1140:
1137:
1135:
1132:
1131:
1129:
1125:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1113:Westlake Park
1111:
1109:
1108:Tilikum Place
1106:
1104:
1101:
1099:
1096:
1094:
1093:McGraw Square
1091:
1090:
1088:
1084:
1078:
1075:
1074:
1072:
1068:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1053:
1051:
1047:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1025:Mercer Street
1023:
1021:
1018:
1015:
1012:
1011:
1009:
1005:
999:
996:
993:
990:
988:
985:
983:
980:
977:
976:Lake City Way
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
961:
960:Aurora Avenue
958:
956:
953:
951:
948:
947:
945:
941:
937:
928:
923:
921:
916:
914:
909:
908:
905:
891:
884:
879:
876:
874:0-295-95615-1
870:
866:
861:
860:
840:
836:
829:
814:
810:
803:
788:
784:
777:
762:
758:
751:
735:
729:
714:
710:
703:
687:
681:
667:on 2018-07-02
666:
662:
656:
640:
634:
619:
618:
613:
606:
591:
590:
585:
578:
562:
558:
552:
544:
537:
530:
525:
523:
521:
519:
512:, p. 64.
511:
506:
499:
494:
492:
490:
488:
478:
471:
467:
464:
461:Paul Dorpat,
458:
456:
454:
452:
445:
440:
425:
424:
419:
418:"Alaskan Way"
413:
409:
401:
399:
398:Expedia Group
395:
391:
387:
383:
379:
374:
371:
366:
361:
356:
352:
349:
341:
340:Stadium Place
336:
330:Redevelopment
310:
308:
303:
299:
291:, August 2011
290:
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164:, originally
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117:
115:
107:
106:
104:
98:
94:
90:
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68:
65:
63:Maintained by
61:
58:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
33:
28:
23:
1134:Canton Alley
1014:145th Street
954:
894:, retrieved
889:
864:
842:. Retrieved
838:
828:
816:. Retrieved
812:
802:
790:. Retrieved
786:
776:
764:. Retrieved
760:
750:
738:. Retrieved
728:
716:. Retrieved
712:
702:
690:. Retrieved
680:
669:. Retrieved
665:the original
655:
643:. Retrieved
633:
621:. Retrieved
615:
605:
593:. Retrieved
587:
577:
567:December 23,
565:. Retrieved
560:
551:
542:
536:
505:
477:
439:
429:December 23,
427:. Retrieved
421:
412:
375:
357:
353:
345:
342:in July 2019
298:John F. Dore
294:
274:
258:
238:Thomas Burke
231:
214:Dzidzilalich
213:
194:BNSF Railway
165:
161:
160:
155:Broad Street
25:Dzidzilalich
1217:Bay Freeway
1035:Pike Street
1030:Pine Street
955:Alaskan Way
563:. June 2016
481:Google Maps
423:Google Maps
365:dᶻidᶻəlalič
360:Lushootseed
174:Elliott Bay
162:Alaskan Way
137:Colman Dock
133:SR 305
129:SR 304
114:SR 519
20:Alaskan Way
1144:Post Alley
1061:Pike Place
1040:Yesler Way
950:1st Avenue
896:2008-10-20
857:References
844:August 24,
692:January 1,
671:2018-07-02
595:January 1,
198:Smith Cove
1020:Denny Way
994:(The Ave)
766:April 24,
740:April 24,
510:Sale 1978
296:by mayor
254:tideflats
102:junctions
1244:Category
1153:Freeways
1016:(SR 523)
978:(SR 522)
966:Broadway
818:July 25,
466:Archived
370:Duwamish
302:landfill
208:through
188:and the
182:Belltown
131: /
81:Location
53:Namesake
962:(SR 99)
792:June 1,
718:July 2,
645:July 2,
623:July 2,
420:(Map).
278:seawall
220:History
170:Seattle
85:Seattle
1180:SR 520
1127:Alleys
871:
73:Length
57:Alaska
1070:Loops
886:(PDF)
404:Notes
362:name
100:Major
1165:I‑90
869:ISBN
846:2023
820:2023
794:2023
768:2023
742:2023
720:2018
694:2019
647:2018
625:2018
597:2019
569:2018
431:2018
268:and
240:and
1160:I‑5
1246::
888:,
837:.
811:.
785:.
759:.
711:.
614:.
586:.
559:.
517:^
486:^
450:^
400:.
392:,
256:.
216:.
926:e
919:t
912:v
848:.
822:.
796:.
770:.
744:.
722:.
696:.
674:.
649:.
627:.
599:.
571:.
433:.
139:)
135:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
