Episode 5

Consensus Through Exhaustion

Published on: 21st March, 2025

A state-mandated public vote shoots down both tunnel and elevated viaduct and its back to the drawing board. Three new coalitions form to come up with alternatives and while chewing on various options, new deep bore tunnel technology arrives on the scene. But who will foot the bill? 

“Interestingly, it is the fact that it took so long to get to this point in the process that actually made the single bore tunnel feasible...” - Jennifer Ott

This episode is hosted by Dominic Black, Kiku Hughes, and Jennifer Ott and features guests Greg Nickels, Christine Gregoire, Bob Donegan, Cary Moon, and Paula Hammond

 

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About the Podcast

An 8-Year-Long Emergency
Seattle, an Earthquake, and a Doomed Waterfront Highway
Why was the replacement of the Alaskan Way viaduct an eight-year-long emergency? Because everyone - from governors to stakeholders to community groups - cares deeply about the Seattle central waterfront.

An 8-Year-Long Emergency: Seattle, an Earthquake, and a Doomed Waterfront Highway is an exploration of the complicated story behind the replacement of the viaduct following the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. Featuring interviews and engaging discussions with historians, politicians, transportation planners, and community organizers, each episode is set against the backdrop of the waterfront's history.

As the podcast reveals, "Even though it’s changed dramatically over time, repeatedly, you can still see traces and touch points of the past wherever you go on the Waterfront," reminding us that the past is always present in the landscape.

About your host

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Kiku Hughes