The Bertha tunnel boring machine has resumed chewing away beneath Seattle after a ‘suspension for cause’ order from WSDOT shut it down in January following two safety incidents. The BTM began tunneling with some conditions in place late in February, and those conditions were lifted when the demonstration period ended on March 7. Bertha has now reached her next scheduled maintenance stop, having tunneled a total of 1,560 feet. [Source: WSDOT Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project Page. Image: WSDOT]
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The Port Authority of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) has a major transit improvement project dubbed the North Shore Connector. Its main components are twin bored tunnels 1.2 miles long that will connect the Port Authority’s Light Rail Transit system, the T, 1.2 miles from the Gateway Subway Station underneath Stanwix Street and the Allegheny River to the North Shore. It will travel under the river and provide three new stations and allow for future improvements beneficial to future development and continued downtown revitalization. The $435 million project is making news recently for cost increases, drawing comparisons to Boston’s Big Dig much to the dismay of the Port Authority. Read on for project maps, links and more info.