The $3.3 billion Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program was dubbed this year’s best overall engineering project in the United States at a gathering of the American Council of Engineering Companies last week.
The award was split between two organizations: the replacement program’s general engineering consultant — WSP USA — and the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program is the two-mile-long SR 99 tunnel, which opened in February 2019. It is the largest single-bored road tunnel in North America and carries a double-deck highway underneath downtown Seattle.
“The SR 99 tunnel set new standards for tunneling worldwide,” Washington Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar said. “Not only does this tunnel move people through Seattle, but it cleared the way for Seattle to reimagine its downtown waterfront.”
Following the completion of the project, developers intend to renovate the opened downtown waterfront.
“There are thousands of talented people who worked many years to make the replacement of Seattle’s seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct a reality. They all share the credit for this prestigious award,” Brian Nielsen, administrator of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, said.
The program was chosen out of 195 other projects for the top award.