SEATTLE — Seattle has started work on a new pedestrian bridge that will connect Pike Place Market to the downtown waterfront.
Dubbed “Overlook Walk,” the bridge will stretch above Alaskan Way, with one arm descending directly to a new waterfront promenade and another arm extending onto the roof of a new Seattle Aquarium pavilion. Construction on the bridge began last week, the Office of the Waterfront told The Seattle Times. The promenade and the Aquarium’s pavilion for sharks and stingrays are also currently under construction.
The bridge will include slopes and a new elevator in addition to stairs, according to the Office of the Waterfront, which says the space will serve as a sort of “elevated park” with terraced landscaping, native plants, expansive Elliott Bay views, amphitheater-style seats for concerts and a new cafe, plus slides and other “play elements” for children.
The Overlook Walk project is part of a massive redevelopment of Seattle’s downtown waterfront that was made possible by the 2019 removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The price tag for the pedestrian bridge is about $70 million. The cost of the entire redevelopment scheme is more than $750 million, paid for by the city, the state, private donors and a special tax on downtown property owners assessed through a “local improvement district.”