This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.
When plans were first announced to rebuild the South end of the Viaduct first and punt on the question of the Northern, and more controversial, half, I was a bit skeptical. The design of the Southern half would certainly influence the decisions that were made up North.
So I’m pleasantly surprised to see the proposed plan, which actually goes out of its way to hug the ground and elevate as little as possible. Money quote:
In the past, the city and state discussed replacing the 1953- vintage viaduct — considered vulnerable in a major earthquake — with a new one, a tunnel or not at all, instead using surface streets to handle the traffic. The new design “can accommodate any of those three features,” as well as connect to the existing structure, [project manager Ron] Paananen said.
And while it’s closed, of course, we’ll all have to figure out new commuting patterns, experimenting with transit options. And maybe some of us will keep using those transit options after the road closure ends.