SR 99 Viaduct Closure: King County Adds New Transit Enhancements

SHORELINE, WA - The Alaskan Way Viaduct closure is now just 30 days away. If you haven't started planning your strategy, consider this: King County is offering discounts for commuters who use carpool apps.

The county has teamed up with Waze Carpool and Scoop to offer discounts to commuters who use their services. The apps connect commuters with neighbors who are going in the same direction or workplace. The county will offer discounts to riders and incentives to people who volunteer to be carpool drivers.

The discounts will be available for a limited time through the three-week viaduct closure, which begins Jan. 11. The Waze and Scoop apps are free to download. Find out more about the carpool discounts and programs here.

King County and the city of Seattle on Tuesday announced a slew of other transit enhancements for the January viaduct shut down.

Commuters in West Seattle will have access to the Ride2 Transit, an on-demand van service that shuttles people between their home (or anywhere else) and either the water taxi dock or the Alaska Junction. The service is also available on the Eastside.

Other transit enhancements coming, according to King County:

• 20 Metro buses will be on standby around the Seattle to deploy when routes are running late
• Also in West Seattle, the 773 and 775 water taxi shuttles will add more trips
• The water taxi will add a new boat beginning Jan. 14; boats will run every 20 minutes in the morning and evening
• The shuttle parking areas at Seacrest Park and Pier 2 will expand

During the viaduct closure, drivers will not be able to use a stretch of SR 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel. The stretch of SR 99 through South Lake Union and Queen Anne will be open, but the road will be down to one lane in either direction at Republican Street.

WSDOT has to close the viaduct to realign the roadway into the new SR 99 tunnel.

Soon after the tunnel opens, the 3rd Avenue bus tunnel will switch to an all-train tunnel. The buses that used the tunnel will switch to city streets starting March 23. WSDOT contractors will also be demolishing the viaduct beginning in February.

File photo by Neal McNamara/Patch