SEATTLE - Good Bye Viaduct - Hello Tunnel

WSDOT plans a celebration of the old and new Feb. 2-3  

Mike Lindblom  Seattle Times Reporter

Check out the demolition to Seattle's Cityscape by clicking here. 

Attractions include free public walks, a paid bicycle ride and an 8k run along both the viaduct and tunnel. There will be children's science activities, musicians and food trucks at each end.  

Seattle under construction - portal to more awesome pics

Crowds of 50,000 people or more are expected to say goodbye to the Alaskan Way Viaduct and hello to the Highway 99 tunnel during weekend events Feb. 2-3.

The viaduct closed permanently Jan. 11. The party falls in February, when connecting ramps to the tunnel are finished. Tunnel traffic will start during the week following the party, about the same time major deck demolition of the viaduct gets started, said Dave Sowers, Highway 99 deputy administrator for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

The viaduct’s allure is well-established. Back in October 2011, a commemorative walk attracted 3,200 people to watch the beginning of a nine-day demolition of the structure’s southern half. This April, 7,000 people joined a Cascade Bicycle Club ride on the viaduct and Interstate 5 express lanes, under drizzly skies.

February weather won’t be much of a deterrent to bicyclists, said Brent Tongco, marketing director for Cascade. “It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

Saturday, Feb. 2, events include:

• An 8-kilometer fun run and walk through the new tunnel, the viaduct and the old Battery Street Tunnel, at 7:30 a.m., sponsored by engineering firm HTNB. Registration fee is $35.

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony with elected officials at 11:30 a.m. at the south portal, next to Royal Brougham Way South.

• a life size mural of tunnel-boring machine Bertha’s front end, and Lego model at the north Life-size mural portal, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Exhibits about the geologic formations along Seattle’s waterfront, and earthquake-safety technology, at Pyramid Brewery near the south portal, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Exhibits about the geologic formations along Seattle’s waterfront, and earthquake-safety technology, at Pyramid Brewery near the south portal, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• An art festival on the viaduct, near the Seneca Street ramp in mid-downtown.

• 12.5-mile bike ride Sunday, Feb 3 at 8 a.m. Shorter routes are available. Registration is limited to 10,000 riders, at $40 for ages 13 and over, and $20 for people 12 and younger.

Everything You Need to Know about the SUPER BLOOD WOLF MOON

Many are marking their calendars for a FANTASTIC even set for Sunday, January 20, 2019. In addition to being my baby girl’s 20th birthday a “Super Blood Wolf Moon” will put on a show all across the Western Hemisphere.  While the name sounds like something straight out of the Twilight series, each word has a significance of this rare lunar event.

This is everything you need to know about the special celestial show. What Is a Super Blood Wolf Moon?  According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it is a total lunar eclipse, which occurs at the same time as a trifecta of other designations for the moon, which is where the words “blood,” “super” and “wolf” come in.

During the total lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, which casts a shadow that blocks our view of the moon.  Blood Moon: describes the dark red color the moon glows when it’s in the Earth’s shadow. Super: means a full or new Moon which occurs when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, which can make it appear larger and brighter than usual. Wolf: is a term -which originated from Native American tribes and early colonists -for a full moon that occurs in January.

How Can I see it? No special devices are needed to view this event in the nighttime sky. According to the Almanac, the moon show should be visible to everyone in the Western Hemisphere - weather permitting. The National Geographic reports that the partial eclipse will begin at 10:33 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 20, and will take over 3.5 hours to go through all of its phases. During the first hour, the Moon will turn orange and red — almost resembling the planet Mars.  

At 11:41 p.m. EST, totality begins, meaning that the moon should give off the dark red glow it’s famous for, but that can vary based on the atmospheric conditions and may appear in the sky as dark gray with the moon “barely visible.” The eclipse will last until 12:44 a.m. EST on Monday, January 21, hovering in the highest section of the zodiac. When Will the Next One Be? This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2021, and there’s no guarantee the cosmos will align so that the next eclipse will fall during a super moon, so it might be the last time you hear the words, “Super Blood Wolf Moon,” all together for some time.