Pike Place Market artists crafting beautiful creations out of Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition

SEATTLE — You can now wear a piece of the Alaskan Way Viaduct thanks to the creativity of local artists.  The old elevated Highway 99 has brought new inspiration to Pike Place Market as the demolition work is now happening just steps away.

At the Sabando Design stand in the crafts market, you’ll find rings made of rebar and necklaces handcrafted from chunks of the viaduct.

“It's kind of history on history,” Sabando said to KIRO 7 as she pointed out that river rocks were used as the base for the Highway 99 cement. “You're going to see all the beautiful aggregate in there, which is river rock. That rock came from the Duwamish, Puget Sound.”

So far, Sabando has sold more than 20 pieces priced at $150-$250 each. Her pieces display a beautiful array of natural colors that come from oxidation that occurs as the silversmith crafts her jewelry.

“It takes a little while to make each piece because we're cutting and polishing every single piece,” Sabando said.

Patty Roberts was among a handful of artists taken as a group to collect chunks of the viaduct. She’s painted her monster creations from Falcorations Odyssey onto the concrete.

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“It's just crazy to think that this little guy was part of what we drove on,” Roberts said as she held a rock. “It's a little more challenging to paint on it because it's such a rough surface. There's so many little holes on it.”

Roberts has 50 to 70 pieces in the works and is selling them for $18 to $45 each.

Then there's the edible tribute to the Viaduct at Bavarian Meats -- the Wrecking Ball sandwich.

It comes with pulled pork, ham, a pickle, slaw, and barbecue sauce and costs $8.99. The inspiration for the Wrecking Ball came from manager Gabriele Kessler's son, because of the demolition of the viaduct and also the weight of the massive sandwich.

While it was no secret that the viaduct was literally crumbling, working with the rocks has given these artists new perspective.

“You're just putting the final polish on and then a few more layers come off and the voids open up,” Sabando said.  “So you have a big hole in the center. So, that's probably why it was sinking.”

“It's kind of scary to think there were holes in the concrete that we were driving on,” Roberts said with a chuckle.

The viaduct removal is now halfway done, and if given the chance, these artists plan to collect more material before it's gone forever in about three months.

You can find other Pike Place Market ideas inspired by the viaduct demolition here.

Cox Media Group