Skip to content

What Would Seattle Look Like if I-5 Was Covered?

The "Lid I-5" effort is pushing to reconsider plans to cover the freeway that runs through downtown Seattle.

By Danny Sullivan February 26, 2018

lid-final

This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the March 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

Scott Bonjukian and John Feit are pursuing an idea that could transform downtown Seattle: Cover the freeway that runs through it, and in doing so, limit noise and air pollution and create new land for parks, affordable housing and more.

Bonjukian, an urban designer, and Feit, an architect and chair of the Pike/Pine Urban Neighborhood Council, are chairs of Lid I-5, a community-run advocacy group that has been urging the city to consider the plan.

So far, so good: The Washington State Convention Center (whose planned expansion will be near Interstate 5) recently awarded the City of Seattle a $1.5 million grant to study the feasibility of a lid.

“Our goal will be … to give a suite of informed options [for the lid] that can later be debated by the public,” says Feit.

Don’t expect a transformation soon: The study will take years, with construction even farther in the future, and a big price tag to grapple with. Based on other lid projects around the nation, Bonjukian estimates that lidding I-5 between Madison and Olive streets would cost $250 million, creating 10 acres of new land.

The long wait doesn’t bother them though. Says Bonjukian contentedly: “We’ve been at this two and half years….These things take a long time.” 

 

Follow Us

Tapped Out

Tapped Out

Washington lawmakers propose doubling beer and wine taxes

You might be paying significantly more for your pint next year.  House Bill 2079, introduced by Representative Lauren Davis (D–District 32), would raise the tax on beer from $4.78 to $9.56 per barrel for most breweries. The bill also proposes doubling taxes on wine from 1 cent to 2 cents per liter and increasing taxes…

Older Workers Thrive in Washington

Older Workers Thrive in Washington

State ranks No. 1 for older workers

A former colleague retired last year at age 64. He was, he says, “burned out” on everything from office politics to his difficulty understanding younger teammates. He had worked hard, saved money, and figured now was the time to begin to enjoy it. His father had died literally the day after cashing his first retirement…

Downtown Seattle Again Draws More Workers, Visitors

Downtown Seattle Again Draws More Workers, Visitors

The number of visitors approaches pre-pandemic levels

Downtown foot traffic hit yet another milestone last month. The Downtown Seattle Association says March averaged 101,000 daily workers, the highest average since March 2020. The figure is still only 60% of foot traffic in March 2019 as employees continue working remotely, but is a 12% increase from a year ago. More than 2.5 million…

Curvy Cactus, Chub Rub Launch Seattle’s First Fat Mall

Curvy Cactus, Chub Rub Launch Seattle’s First Fat Mall

The new pop-up marketplace highlights local makers and body-affirming fashion

Seattle Fat Mall — the city’s first-ever  — will turn the Curvy Cactus storefront on Fourth Avenue into a monthlong pop-up marketplace for plus-size fashion, art, and gifts from local makers. “We envision Seattle Fat Mall as more than just a retail space. It’s a celebration of our community,” say Amber and Alyss Seelig, sisters…