Marshall Foster, Interim Director of the Seattle Center, joined Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Waterfront Director Angela Brady and other city leaders for the reopening of a Rebuilt Alaskan Way
Seattle city leaders gathered on Monday to recognize the completion of the Alaskan Way project.
“Transforming our waterfront is a huge part of our downtown activation plan” Mayor Bruce Harrell told a crowd overlooking the picturesque waterfront “This is accessible new corridor will strengthen connections to our downtown neighborhoods.”
The elevated connector is now a bridge between the Waterfront and Belltown; and opens up a clear path from the Stadium District to Bell Street at the North End.
“The vehicle centric Alaskan Way Viaduct has long separated the waterfront from the Belltown neighborhood” says Angela Brady, Director of the Waterfront project “We are excited to be opening a new and direct multi-model connection that has not existed until today.”
City leaders also worked for a decade to find an appropriate tribute for the Coast Salish people and settled on naming the intersection of Lenora Street & Elliot Way:
“Dzidzilalich stands on the lands and shared waters on the Puget Sound waters of the Coast Salish people whose ancestors resided here since time and memorial.”
Pronounced: deez- zuh– la- litch,the word means: “Little Crossing Over Place.”
“Our waterfront is a working one” Mayor Harrell struggled with the pronunciation, but there nothing uncertain about the clarity of his excitement “It has played a key role in the development of our current city and our historical city; the ability to efficiently transport goods through the corridor from SODO and Pioneer Square to the south and downtown.”
The rebuilt Alaskan Way opens to bikers, walkers, and traffic in about two weeks.
