Bay Freeway (Seattle)
Bay Freeway | |
---|---|
Mercer Street Connection | |
Route information | |
Length | 0.7 mi[1] (1,100 m) |
History | Canceled in 1972[2] |
Major junctions | |
West end | SR 99 in Seattle |
East end | I-5 in Seattle |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
Highway system | |
The Bay Freeway, also referred to as the Mercer Street Connection, was a proposed elevated
Planning for the freeway began in 1954, with the proposal for a freeway from
Citizen groups voiced their opposition to the project at
On February 8, 1972, the Bay Freeway project was rejected by a 10,000-vote margin in a municipal
Route description
The 0.7-mile-long (1.1 km) Bay Freeway,
Earlier plans called for an extension traveling southwest on Broad Street through Belltown, including a tunnel between 5th Avenue and Denny Way, to the proposed Northwest Expressway and an extension of the existing Alaskan Way Viaduct on the Elliott Bay waterfront.[1] The extension was deferred in 1969,[6] but remained a "possible future plan" until the entire project was canceled.[7]
History
Mercer Street expansion
External image | |
---|---|
Plan drawing of the Mercer Street Connection, as proposed in 1960. (Seattle Municipal Archives) |
The
The
Freeway proposals
The project was officially designated the "Bay Freeway" by the Seattle City Council on April 12, 1967, as part of an
The design report for the Bay Freeway project was published on February 10, 1970, and was subsequently distributed to the project. The report featured a new design for the freeway, including ramps to a parking garage serving the domed stadium and aesthetic standards meant to complement the existing Seattle Center.
The city council approved $28 million (equivalent to $170 million in 2023 dollars)[13] for the Bay Freeway proposal, to be matched by an additional $28 million from the federal government, by a 5–3 vote on December 21, 1970.[36][37] Right of way acquisition began the following March, with $6 million (equivalent to $36.3 million in 2023 dollars)[13] appropriated to purchase and condemn properties on seven blocks between Mercer and Valley streets.[38][39]
Civil suit and special election
The 6-lane proposal caused several opposition groups, led by the Citizens Against R.H. Thomson (CARHT), to launch a civil suit to halt further planning for the Bay Freeway. The two citizens groups opposed what they claimed was improper planning and financing, described as "a series of shortcut procedures and hearings to give the design rubber-stamp approval", and that the project did not conform to the voter-approved 1960 proposal for a "Mercer Street Connection".[40] CARHT was named the plaintiff in the case, using funds largely from an anonymous single donor that were originally meant for opposing the R.H. Thomson Expressway.[41] On November 3, 1971, King County Superior Court Judge Solie M. Ringold ruled in favor of the opposition and prohibited the city from moving forward with the Bay Freeway project, citing that it had deviated significantly from the voter-approved 1960 proposal; the estimated cost of the project rose to $28 million (equivalent to $161 million in 2023 dollars),[13] a seven-fold increase from 1960's figures. The city was allowed to reconsider plans and submit a new proposal for voter approval.[36][42] The Council Committee of the Whole unanimously voted the following month to hold a special referendum seeking approval of the Bay Freeway, as well as endorsement of the city council's decision to cancel the R.H. Thomson Expressway, scheduled for February 8, 1972.[43][44]
The final
Referendum 1, which sought approval of the Bay Freeway, was rejected by a margin of 52,748 to 42,502 on February 8, 1972, effectively canceling the project.[2][45] In the aftermath of the vote, opponents of the project urged the city council to look into alternate solutions for the "Mercer Street mess".[46]
The Seattle City Council officially terminated the Bay Freeway project by passing an ordinance on May 1, 1972, to halt condemnation proceedings related to properties in the freeway's proposed corridor.[47]
Aftermath and subsequent proposals
As a result of the vote in February 1972, the State Highway Department transferred $5.7 million (equivalent to $31.5 million in 2023 dollars)
Mercer Street had previously been split into a
The
Exit list
This list reflects the final incarnation of the Bay Freeway, as proposed before the 1972 referendum.
mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.0 | 0.0 | Roy Street, Mercer Street | Eastbound entrance and westbound exit; continues as Broad Street | ||
SR 99 (Aurora Avenue North) | Westbound exit only | ||||
0.7 | 1.1 | I-5 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
References
- ^ a b c d Suffia, David (November 16, 1971). "The Bay Freeway: What, where and why". The Seattle Times. p. A12.
- ^ a b c Crowley, Walt; Oldham, Kit (March 19, 2001). "Seattle voters scrap proposed Bay Freeway and R. H. Thomson Expressway on February 8, 1972". HistoryLink. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ ISSN 0745-9696.
- ^ MacIntosh, Heather (March 1, 2000). "Kingdome: The Controversial Birth of a Seattle Icon (1959–1976)". HistoryLink. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ a b City of Seattle Engineering Department (April 8, 1970). "Bay Freeway: Questions & Answers". The Seattle Times. p. D7. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via Seattle Municipal Archives.
- ^ a b Lane, Bob (December 14, 1969). "The Bay Freeway...It's Unlike Any Other". The Seattle Times. p. D1.
- ^ OCLC 13222564.
- ^ Gilmore, Susan (August 24, 2003). "Bumper to Bumper: Some freeway plans never went anywhere". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Morse, Roy W. (November 2, 1970). "840 Legal Notices: Findings of the City Council of the City of Seattle adopted by Ordinance 99377". The Seattle Times. p. C18.
- ^ Willix, Douglas (August 25, 1957). "Seattle's Plan For Tomorrow". The Seattle Sunday Times Magazine. pp. 12–13.
- ^ "Mercer Street Underpass To Open Monday". The Seattle Times. July 3, 1958. p. 3.
- ^ "Broad St. Underpass Opened". The Seattle Times. July 27, 1958. p. 14.
- ^ Gross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ Seattle City Council (December 14, 1959). "City of Seattle Ordinance 88825". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Mrs. Edwards Gains Most In Official Tally". The Seattle Daily Times. March 19, 1960. p. 4.
- ^ "Arterial, Park Bonds Are Vital Issues". The Seattle Times. March 6, 1960. p. 22.
- ^ City of Seattle (March 7, 1960). "Proposition 1 is Key to 6-Year Traffic Improvement Program". The Seattle Daily Times. pp. C2–C3.
- ^ "Century 21 World's Fair". Seattle Municipal Archives. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Carroll, Charles M. (March 25, 1970). "Bay Freeway: Progress Report to the Citizens". The Seattle Times. p. E16.
- ^ "Traffic Routes for Visitors To World's Fair Explained". The Seattle Times. March 8, 1962. p. 3.
- ^ "Mercer Street Access Gets Light Traffic". The Seattle Times. November 14, 1963. p. 23.
- ^ Barr, Robert A. (January 10, 1965). "Tunnels To Nowhere: Freeway May Catch Up to Interchanges In 1 to 6 Years". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
- ^ "New Entry, Exit Open On Freeway". The Seattle Times. March 5, 1968. p. 52.
- ^ Barr, Robert A. (February 15, 1967). "'Mercer Mess' End Forecast By Early 1969". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
- ^ Willix, Douglas (February 17, 1967). "Criticism of Lake Union High Viaduct Heard by Council". The Seattle Times. p. 3.
- ^ Seattle City Council (April 12, 1967). "City of Seattle Ordinance 95703". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Mayor Asks Council to Seek Federal Aid for Project". The Seattle Times. April 11, 1967. p. 33.
- ^ Seattle City Council (July 3, 1967). "City of Seattle Resolution 21101". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Protests Fail to Stop Approval Of Viaduct Plan for Freeway". The Seattle Times. June 24, 1967. p. 13.
- ^ Barr, Robert A. (June 22, 1967). "'Bay Freeway': Underground Route Would Triple Cost". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
- ^ Bergsman, Jerry (November 15, 1968). "Multipurpose Stadium: Center Best Site, Says Report". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
- ^ "Ex-Highway Head Criticizes Bay Freeway". The Seattle Times. April 18, 1970. p. A12.
- ^ Suffia, David (May 21, 1970). "Scaling Down of Bay Freeway Plans Probable, Says Council". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
- ^ "City Told Of Need For Bay Freeway". The Seattle Times. May 25, 1970. p. B6.
- ^ "City Hall: Thomson Parkway Dead...Bay Freeway Goes on as 6 Lanes". The Seattle Times. June 2, 1970. p. A8.
- ^ a b Bergsman, Jerry (December 22, 1970). "Council approves Bay Freeway". The Seattle Times. p. A16.
- ^ Fiset, Louis (March 31, 2001). "Seattle City Council approves Bay Freeway plans in November 1970". HistoryLink. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Funds are voted for freeway right-of-way". The Seattle Times. November 3, 1970. p. A11.
- ^ Seattle City Council (March 19, 1971). "City of Seattle Ordinance 99739". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Bay Freeway plans, financing challenged". The Seattle Times. September 17, 1970. p. D4.
- .
- ^ "Bay Freeway voided; judge cites changes". The Seattle Times. November 3, 1971. p. E12.
- ^ Seattle City Council (December 21, 1971). "City of Seattle Ordinance 100539". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Sperry, Sam R. (November 23, 1971). "Bay Freeway to stay alive?". The Seattle Times. p. A14.
- ^ "Freeways rejected: Absentees to decide Seattle school levy". The Seattle Times. February 9, 1972. p. A1.
- ^ Gilje, Shelby (February 9, 1972). "Bay Freeway dead, gone". The Seattle Times. p. B2.
- ^ Seattle City Council (May 3, 1972). "City of Seattle Ordinance 100956". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Barr, Robert A. (February 9, 1972). "Bay Freeway fund lost to area". The Seattle Times. p. B3.
- .
- ^ "City Hall: Worse traffic predicted in Mercer". The Seattle Times. February 10, 1972. p. A9.
- ^ a b Lindblom, Mike (August 22, 2012). "Mercer gets 6 lanes, two-way traffic Monday". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Nelson, Robert T. (March 5, 1990). "'Mercer Mess': City trying again". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Schaefer, David (December 31, 1985). "Mercer Street tunnel endorsed by Royer". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via NewsBank.
- ^ Nelson, Robert T. (June 20, 1989). "Council votes not to study 'Mercer Mess' - Members make u-turn, reject 2 proposals". The Seattle Times. p. B2. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via NewsBank.
- ^ Schumacher, Elouise (January 10, 1989). "Another plan to clean up Mercer Mess - Broad St. 'throughway' proposed". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via NewsBank.
- ^ Serrano, Barbara A. (September 8, 1995). "Park plan tackles 'Mercer Mess'". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Becker, Paula (August 8, 2007). "Seattle voters reject the Seattle Commons levy on September 19, 1995". HistoryLink. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Finally Fixing the Mercer Mess" (Press release). Seattle Department of Transportation. February 17, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (February 18, 2010). "Work on 'Mercer Mess' to start soon". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (September 8, 2010). "Construction of 'Mercer Mess' makeover ready to start". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Heffter, Emily; Sullivan, Jennifer (August 27, 2012). "First day of new two-way Mercer Street still a mess". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (May 30, 2014). "Lots of summer roadwork planned, and it's already started". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Section of Seattle's Broad Street permanently closed; Mercer now a 2-way street". Seattle: KIRO-TV. June 2, 2014. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2015.