June 15, 2022

Construction of major pedestrian link to the waterfront starts today

Images from Waterfront Seattle [enlarge]

Overlook Walk will span the new Alaskan Way, giving pedestrians a path to the waterfront without tangling with cars.

Hoffman Construction Co. is setting up operations today to start work on a key piece of the Seattle waterfront rebuild — the Overlook Walk pedestrian bridge that will link Pike Place Market to the waterfront. Officials expect a tower crane to be erected in August for the project.

The city of Seattle says the construction cost of Overlook Walk, including foundation work, is about $70 million. Hoffman is building the project for the city's Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects.

The new bridge over Alaskan Way will provide accessible walking paths, a new elevator, and informal spaces for people to rest while they view terraced landscaping with native plants and Elliott Bay. There also will be a new cafe, play toys for kids including slides, and amphitheater-type seating near a promenade that will be part of the new waterfront.

Construction is anticipated to be complete by 2025.

“This new, elevated park will provide plenty of public open space for taking in the gorgeous views of Elliott Bay that our locals know and love and, once complete, it's sure to become one of the city's most celebrated locations,” said Angela Brady, director of the Waterfront Seattle Program, in a news release. “Overlook Walk is a focal point for the overall waterfront improvements program and we are excited to share another major milestone towards the completion of a new and improved Waterfront for All.”

[enlarge]

Seating will be provided in several areas.

There are also two permanent artworks planned as part of this project, including an installation by Ann Hamilton featuring kinetic puppet-like figures, and art by the MTK Matriarchs, whose work was inspired by Native weavers and carvers.

The city is coordinating with the Pike Place Market and the Seattle Aquarium, as Overlook Walk will tie into their existing and new spaces, including the MarketFront addition that was finished in 2017 and the Ocean Pavilion building, which is under construction. Ocean Pavilion is a 50,000-square-foot standalone addition to the Seattle Aquarium designed by LMN Architects and being built by Turner Construction.

Overlook Walk will be part of the reworked waterfront, which cost $756 million, and will stretch from Pioneer Square to Belltown. It will have 20 acres of new public spaces, including bike paths, walkways and parks.

(Update: The project’s design team includes James Corner Field Operations, Miller Hull, Land Morphology, Dragonfly, MKA, Dark Light, Jacobs, Shannon & Wilson, Greenbusch, WSP, and Green Facades. James Corner Field Operations is the lead urban design and landscape architecture firm, with Land Morphology supporting the landscape plantings design work.)