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SEATTLE — Gov. Chris Gregoire announced a significant step forward in the replacement of the seismically unsafe Alaskan Way Viaduct. Both bids submitted to design and build the SR 99 bored tunnel were at or below the contract price limit. The submittals were from two teams of national and international tunneling firms, who spent months of design work and cost analysis to produce the extensive proposals.

“After 10 years of debate, 90 alternatives, and eight studies, today we are returning the waterfront to the people of Seattle and keeping our economy moving,” Gregoire said. “We can’t afford to wait. Replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct is a critical public safety project. The bored tunnel preserves capacity, is essential to our state’s commerce, and keeps traffic moving through the entire construction process. We owe it to the families and businesses who will spur our economic recovery to complete this project. Today’s bids meet our needs while being on budget and on time to protect the state’s taxpayers.”

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) released a request for proposals in May, describing the proposed bored tunnel project and setting technical requirements for pre-qualified bidders. Major items contained in the request include a tunnel boring machine; boring the tunnel; and building the road within the tunnel with ventilation, fire/life safety, and electrical systems. The contract will also cover construction of two operations buildings, tunnel settlement mitigation, and portal construction. Bids include a mix of lump-sum, unit bid, and shared contingency amounts. Most of the work is to be included in the lump-sum, fixed-price bid item.

“After an in-depth review, we will award the contract to the team that has complied with our requirements and has the best-value proposal,” said Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond.

Representatives from WSDOT, the Seattle Department of Transportation, industry experts, and the viaduct-replacement program’s Strategic Technical Advisory Team will participate in the proposal evaluation. The evaluation will award credits for certain areas where the teams offer creative ideas and different ways to accomplish WSDOT’s goals and minimize disruptions to the community. In December, when the bids are open, the technical credits will be subtracted from the price to identify the apparent best value. Since the evaluation is confidential, any additional information will be available after the review is complete.

Total cost of the proposed bored tunnel is estimated to be $1.96 billion. This includes design, right of way, construction management, and more than $200 million set aside for risk. Also included in the $1.96 billion are separate, future construction contracts for roadway connections at the north and south ends of the tunnel. This project is currently under environmental review. A Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement that analyzes the bored tunnel alternative is available for public review and comment on the program website.

For more information on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement program, visit www.alaskanwayviaduct.org.