The Alaskan Way Viaduct was an elevated highway in Seattle which was completed in 1966 after 16 years of construction and decades of planning. The double-decked highway ran along the Elliott Bay waterfront above the surface street, Alaskan Way, following previously existing railroad lines. The viaduct provided Seattle with its first bypass route around the downtown business district. The viaduct was damaged in the 2001 Nisqually earthquake and was replaced by a tunnel in 2019.

This image was taken facing northwest and looking from street level up to the viaduct at the intersection of Railroad Avenue, First Avenue, and Dearborn Street, in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of downtown Seattle. The building to the right still stands as of 2026. It opened in 1910 as the Triangle Hotel or Flatiron Building. In the window, one can see the logo of Pyramid Breweries.

Caption information source: Seattle Department of Neighborhoods: Seattle Historical Sites, Summary for 551 1st AVE / Parcel ID 7666206935 / Inv #. https://web.seattle.gov/DPD/HistoricalSite/QueryResult.aspx?ID=190942206. Retrieved June 5, 2026.