On Monday, Feb. 4, 2019, the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) opened the new SR 99 Tunnel, which was designed by our client HNTB Corporation. It was a historic achievement for our city as the tunnel is more than 2 miles and provides drivers with state-of-the-art safety features, making it one of the safest tunnels in the world.

Brian Russell, project lead with HNTB, talked with a number of journalists about some of these features, which include a design built to withstand and remain water tight after a 9.0 earthquake, an escape corridor for motorists in the rare event of an emergency event, and advanced ventilation and fire suppression systems. In addition, there is an ability for tunnel operators to monitor the SR 99 tunnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

HNTB was also a sponsor of the Tunnel to Viaduct 8K Run/Walk, which provided thousands of Seattleites with the opportunity to preview the tunnel and say goodbye to the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which was built in the 1950s. Runners and walkers headed south on the tunnel’s upper deck and returned to the Seattle Center on the lower deck of the viaduct before entering the old Battery Street Tunnel and finishing the event.

In conjunction with the opening of the tunnel, Communiqué PR scheduled and facilitated interviews with Brian Russell and many of our local reporters. Below is a summary of the articles that resulted from these interviews.

1. Curbed, A Quick Guide to Seattle’s brand-new SR-99 tunnel, originally published, Jan. 31 but updated on Feb. 19, 2019

2. KOMO-TV News at 6 p.m., Seattle Squeeze: Tunnel Countdown, Feb. 1, 2019

3. KOMO-TV News at 4 p.m., Seattle Squeeze: Tunnel Countdown, Feb. 1, 2019

4. KOMO-TV Online News, How to stay prepared in the case of emergencies in the new SR-99 tunnel, Feb. 1, 2019

5. Seattle Business magazine, Here’s Why Seattle’s New SR 99 Tunnel Has no Downtown Exits, and Other Facts You May Not Know, Feb. 1, 2019

6. KIRO Radio, Feb. 1, 2019 – Jillian Raftery did an in-studio interview and Brian’s comments were shared on numerous broadcasts over the weekend.

7. Q13-TV, Mike McCarty interviewed Brian Russell. Coverage aired on Feb. 1.

8. Q13-TV, Colby Murdock did a live shot with Brian Russell.

9. KING 5-TV Weekend Morning News, Tunnel to Viaduct 8k Run/Walk, Feb. 2, 2019 – Live interview with Joyce Taylor and Steve Bunin

10.   The Seattle Times, From fire sprinklers to surveillance cameras, the Highway 99 tunnel is loaded with safety features, Feb. 3, 2019

11. Emergency Management, From fire sprinklers to surveillance cameras, the Highway 99 tunnel is loaded with safety features, Feb. 3, 2019

Congratulations to the entire HNTB team, WSDOT, our local government officials, and local taxpayers for coming together to ensure we have one of the safest tunnels in the world. This infrastructure is making it easier and more efficient to get around our beautiful city.