The state hopes to pay 27% less than expected to fit the Alaskan Way Viaduct with nine gates that could close within two minutes of an earthquake. Signal Electric of Kent was awarded the $1.43 million contract Wednesday. The bid was 27 percent lower than the state Department of Transportation's $1.97 million estimate.
Two things.
First, the gates may prevent more people from driving onto the Human Juicer, as Dom calls it, during an earthquake. But they won't help anyone unlucky enough to be driving on the Alaskan Way Viaduct when an earthquake starts.
Second, we're going to be tearing that thing down soon, right? And the state is broke, right? And everyone knows the viaduct is a deathtrap-waiting-for-a-trembler-to-happen, right? So maybe instead of erecting gates in the name of safety—gates that won't save many lives—howzabout we close the thing now? Because it's the people who are on or under the Viaduct during our next earthquake who are gonna get juiced, not the people heading toward it. And if someone is stupid enough to drive onto the Human Juicer during an earthquake, well, that's where Darwin kicks in, right?
