During the week of June 8-12, 2009, the Washington State Department of Transportation [WSDOT] held its first round of public meetings about the proposal to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep-bore tunnel. The Ballard News Tribune reported that attendees were concerned about how Ballard residents would access the tunnel.

The same week, two groups of stakeholders—the Magnolia Community Club and the BINMIC Action Committee, a group of Ballard industrial businesses—sent letters expressing similar reservations. The Queen Anne and Magnolia News reports that the Magnolia Community Club’s letter states, “It is unlikely that most traffic originating from Magnolia and points northwest using 15th Ave West will be able to use the tunnel due to the difficulty of accessing the portal and the awkwardness of traffic flow.” The BINMIC Action Committee doesn’t believe that the project can be completed on time, stating “Given the planning, design construction and traffic analysis issues we have identified, the BINMIC Action Committee and its member organizations believe it is unrealistic that the current plan for completion of the North Portal design be completed by the end of 2009.”

The Ballard News Tribune reports that WSDOT is in listening mode: “Amy Grotefendt, a spokesperson for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program said, ‘We’re out here tonight asking people to give us comments on what issues should be analyzed in the EIS (environmental impact statement) now that we have the portal designs and know how access into and out of the tunnel will work.’”