Available Resources

Video: Inside tunneling under the Alaskan Way Viaduct

From WSDOT’s video description: After nearly a week of tunneling under the Alaskan Way Viaduct, crews are steadily continuing Bertha’s underground drive towards downtown Seattle. This video gives you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the […]

Project Related

Feb. 7 Bertha update: Two factors contributed to tunnel stoppage

WSDOT released an update on February 7 with some conclusions regarding the blockage that has stopped the Alaska Way Viaduct Tunnel Boring Machine, Bertha’s progress since December 6. Now they don’t think it was necessarily the well casing after all.

They cite two factors that contributed to the blockage. First, the cutterhead was clogged with material. You can see an cool short video of a worker unclogging the cutterhead. Not terribly dramatic, but still cool. The second factor was increased temperatures inside the equipment. STP discovered damage to a seal that protects the machine’s main bearing. They are still determining how the repairs will be done.

If you want to follow the chronology of this issue, read below for summaries and links to previous updates from WSDOT. And Check out the videos too! [Source: WSDOT]

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