Since its inception, Seattle ARCH has advocated for preserving a fragment of the R.H. Thomson “Ramps to Nowhere” as a monument to the citizen activists who helped defeat this major north-south expressway.  In October 2016, Seattle ARCH advanced a proposal to preserve four columns and a crossbeam of the defunct freeway, which received unanimous support from the Seattle City Council.

The R.H. Thomson ruin will endure as a lasting symbol of the importance of grass roots civic activism.  It stands to celebrate and honor the citizen activists who worked to stop another freeway from tearing up Seattle neighborhoods, and will remind future generations that citizens, working together, can have a major impact.

The images below show the location and early concept drawings for the monument. It is expected to come to fruition when reconstruction of SR 520 is completed in 2028 and will be integrated into the design of the future Arboretum North Entry.