Study imagines South Park without the highway
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A highway runs through it. Photo: Courtesy of the City of Seattle
What if Seattle got rid of a highway that runs through South Park? A new study says it's worth considering.
Why it matters: Removing the highway could reconnect a neighborhood divided for nearly 70 years, while freeing space for housing, parks and habitat restoration.
- Supporters hope the project could reshape South Park much as replacing Highway 99 with a tunnel transformed Seattle's waterfront.
The big picture: The concept is part of a broader movement to rethink highways that divided communities in the mid-20th century, particularly historically marginalized ones.
- In 2023, Seattle received $1.6 million to analyze the options from a federal pilot program that helps communities remove, cap or redesign such corridors.
Between the lines: The report argues the roughly 3-mile stretch of Highway 99 isn't as critical as it once was, noting four other major north-south routes run within about a mile.
- Residents also say the highway contributes to noise, pollution and safety concerns.
Driving the news: The study looked at four possible futures for the highway.
- One option would remove the section through South Park, rerouting traffic to other regional arterials.
- Two other ideas would convert the highway either into a two- or four-lane boulevard, adding sidewalks and space for parks and habitats.
- Another would keep Highway 99 largely intact, but add new pedestrian and bicycle bridges, trails, landscaping and buffers to better connect both sides of the neighborhood.
Reality check: A change wouldn't happen anytime soon.
- Closing or substantially changing a state highway would likely require years of environmental review, traffic analysis and design work, WSDOT spokesperson Eric Zackula tells Axios.
- "This concept has just taken the first step in a long journey," she says.
What they're saying: State Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), who chairs the state Senate Transportation Committee, tells Axios he appreciates that the report presents "a menu of options for addressing the harms caused by SR 99."
- Most would require approval from the Legislature, he says.
What's next: Liias says he wants lawmakers to receive a briefing on the proposals when the Legislature returns in 2027.