Seattle businesses speak in favor of Highway 99 tunnel

Seattle stands to gain jobs and increased economic activity if the Highway 99 tunnel is constructed, minority business supporters told the City Council, the Seattle Times reported.

The bored tunnel is the largest segment of the state’s $3.1 billion plan to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct through the city of Seattle.

“The bored tunnel, I believe, will eliminate the traffic jam and make it easier for people to come to the businesses in the Chinatown International District,” Lawrence Pang, president of the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, told the City Council members.

No downtown exits are planned for the tunnel, according to the Seattle Times, but it would have a large interchange just west of Chinatown.

The speakers told the City Council they expected 8% of the $1.1 million tunnel contract to go to minority- and women-owned businesses.

On the other side, a recent letter from the Sierra Club warned that any cost overruns from the tunnel construction would hinder the city’s ability to provide social services, such as to low-income residents and the elderly.