Council approves wider Mercer and Spokane Viaduct

Seattle City Council members gave the go-ahead Monday to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct and, with reservations, to widen Mercer Street, rejecting one skeptical member's call for a delay.

"These are projects we've been talking about for 40 years," said Councilwoman Sally Clark.

Members agreed on the $168.5 million widening of South Spokane Street between Sixth Avenue South and East Marginal Way South, which will add lanes, shoulders and a median to the structure linking Interstate 5 to the West Seattle Bridge.

But Councilman Nick Licata, the only dissenter in the 8-1 decision, said he had concerns about the Mercer project part of the measure, which appropriates $25.6 million -- $14 million for design, environmental and property acquisition for Mercer, and $11.6 million to begin the Spokane widening.

An environmental assessment that hasn't been released officially says the project to make Mercer a two-way boulevard benefits traffic flow in some areas and impedes it in others, Licata said, making it "a wash," not worth the estimated $192.9 million cost.

He wanted council members to analyze the assessment before voting; the Mercer-Fairview interchange, a major bottleneck, could be fixed, and a new bicycle path provided, for far less money, he said.

Other council members, however, said the environmental report confirms what they'd heard before, and the Mercer project will provide neighborhood, as well as driving, improvements.

"We need to move forward, not in baby steps but with giant steps," said Councilwoman Jan Drago.

The Spokane Street project would widen the street's elevated viaduct between Sixth Avenue and East Marginal Way from two lanes in each direction to three lanes. It would add a new westbound acceleration lane and a possible eastbound transit/car pool lane.

A new loop ramp would be added to Fourth Avenue South; an existing ramp to Fourth from the westbound lanes would be removed and new ramps to and from First Avenue South added. Work on the new loop ramp is expected to begin this summer, with the rest of the work in 2009.

The Mercer Street project would widen the street between I-5 and Dexter Avenue North to create three lanes of traffic in each direction, plus parking, sidewalks and a median with left-turn lanes. Valley Street, a block to the north, would be narrowed to a two-lane, two-way street. New bicycle lanes would be added on Valley and Roy streets.

Money to complete both projects was included in the three-county roads and transit ballot measure rejected by voters last fall. So far, $78.9 million has been secured for the Spokane project and about $8.4 million for the Mercer project, according to city officials. Now the city must make up the shortfall.

The plan is to raise an additional $40 million from state and federal sources, and $49.6 million for the Spokane project by selling bonds to be repaid by 2006 parking and employment taxes -- part of that year's "Bridging the Gap" transportation levy.

To close the Mercer cash shortfall the city plans to seek $51.7 million from state and federal sources, charge city agencies $26 million for utility relocation and raise $70.6 million by selling bonds repaid with the parking and employment taxes. The administration hopes to raise $36.2 million from private and other, as-yet unnamed sources.

Construction is scheduled to start on the Mercer widening in 2009. City officials hope to finish both projects by 2011.

There were several objections to using parking and employment taxes for such large projects. Critics said there were greater priorities for the money, such as repairing sidewalks. Council members supporting the Spokane and Mercer outlays, however, said neighborhood projects still would get done.