Why I flew 2,000 miles to say goodbye to a freeway overpass

On our nostalgia for eyesores

The Alaskan Way Viaduct.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons)

Last Thursday, I left my apartment in New York City and flew 2,400 miles to say goodbye to one of America's worst pieces of infrastructure.

Seattle residents have despised the Alaskan Way Viaduct since even before it was even completed in the 1950s. Built to bypass downtown congestion, the double-decker freeway was made from some 122,000 tons of reinforced concrete and stretched for 60 years like a gash through the heart of Seattle's scenic waterfront, casting a damp and gloomy shadow over anyone making their way to the aquarium or ferry terminal or historic wharf below.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.