This is a great little time lapse video from WSDOT that shows the construction of the tunnel behind the Bertha’s disassembly pit for the Alaska Way Viaduct Replacement Project.
Building the Tunnel Behind Bertha
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Plan for Bertha Repair Submitted, Archaeological Surveys Underway
Seattle Tunnel Partners and WSDOT are moving forward with the plans to excavate a 120 foot deep shaft to repair the Bertha Tunnel Boring Machine. Unfortunately, there are archaeological issues since the project team did […]
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Breakthrough! Bertha TBM Completes Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel in Seattle
After tunneling 9,270 feet under downtown Seattle, the Bertha tunnel boring machine finally broke through at the north portal yesterday. The breakthrough marks a major milestone in the project to replace the seismically deficient SR-99 […]
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Rising Costs and Delays in Seattle Area Wastewater Plant and Tunnels
In keeping with our theme of rising costs on tunnel projects, the Brightwater sewage-treatment plant and treated waste pipeline project in King County Washington (Seattle area) is now up to at least $1.84 billion according to the lead consultant on the project. The treated waste pipeline is 13 to 14-miles long and at depths of 40 to 440-ft! It is being constructed nearly entirely by TBM. One source of delay was due to a tunneling subcontractor not being able to get parts (ball bearings?) because they were all being requisitioned by the US War Department for use in military equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Click through for information sources and links.