Seattle's tunneling machine Bertha veers a few inches off course before final stretch
SEATTLE -- Recent surveys have found that Seattle's new highway tunnel is a few inches off course and digging has stopped until next week while more measurements are made.Seattle Tunnel Partners project manager Chris Dixon said Wednesday that surveys found the concrete tunnel rings being installed behind the tunneling machine known as Bertha varied "a couple inches" beyond a 6-inch tolerance limit.
In the home stretch: Bertha being prepped to dig final 1,000 feet of Seattle tunnel
SEATTLE -- The dig on the Seattle tunnel has been stopped to prepare the huge boring machine Bertha to cut through the final 1,000 feet of the 9,270-foot drive, the Washington State Department of Transportation said Tuesday."Crews stopped mining yesterday to verify Bertha’s position along the tunnel route before making their final push to the disassembly pit," the end of the line for Bertha, WSDOT said.The department said recent surveys show that Bertha may be several inches off of the tunnel alignment, but added that "adjustments are common during tunneling, including on this project."WSDOT said crews will continue to perform routine maintenance on the machine for the next several days.
Bertha making progress, Highway 99 tunnel taking shape under Seattle
SEATTLE -- The tunnel-boring machine Bertha is chugging along and is now 70 percent complete on her way from Sodo to Denny Way, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.Ever since crews repaired Bertha’s cutter-head in July, the machine has dug out more than a mile of new tunnel.
Bertha more than halfway through tunnel dig; WSDOT calls it big 'milestone'
SEATTLE -- A rare look underground 6th and Thomas was offered Monday where Bertha is expected to end her dig next spring.The site is also the place crews are building one of two operation centers that will monitor the tunnel once it replaces the Alaskan Way Viaduct.On Monday, WSDOT said Bertha is more than halfway done digging the tunnel.
Seattle's tunneling machine Bertha is halfway through project
SEATTLE -- Seattle's giant drilling machine has passed the halfway mark as it digs beneath the city to complete a new highway tunnel.The Washington Department of Transportation said Monday that the drill known as Bertha has passed the Pike Place Market, moving beyond the halfway point on the nearly 2-mile tunnel of the Highway 99 project.
Seattle tunnel machine Bertha back to work after maintenance
SEATTLE -- Bertha the tunnel machine is rolling again.The massive machine boring a tunnel to replace the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct stopped drilling on June 23 to undergo scheduled maintenance.
Bertha tunneling update: One-third complete, ready to dig under downtown buildlings
SEATTLE -- The Bertha boring machine has reached a big milestone.
Bertha tunnel boring in Seattle is now 25% complete, state says
SEATTLE -- The Washington State Department of Transportation said that, as of Tuesday, the Bertha tunnel boring in Seattle is now 25 percent complete."As of May 31, Seattle Tunnel Partners crews have tunneled a total of 2,314 feet.
Bertha's passage under Alaskan Way Viaduct 'officially' comes to end as machine passes 385-foot mark
SEATTLE -- The Washington State Department of Transportation said Wednesday that Bertha’s passage beneath the Alaskan Way Viaduct has "officially come to an end," after it tunneled 385 feet.But, the department said, the contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners, "has decided to continue mining a bit farther before taking a short break."By early Wednesday morning, crews had tunneled 385 feet since the underground maintenance stop near Yesler Way."That put them clear of the fourth and final viaduct column the machine had to pass to complete its journey under the elevated structure," WSDOT said.The department added that STP decided to mine beyond 385 feet in order to reach a better location for the machine to stop while crews take a few days to rest after mining around the clock since April 29.SR 99 was closed for 10 days while Bertha tunneled beneath the viaduct.
A long road ahead for Bertha as it finishes digging under viaduct
SEATTLE -- The state reopened the Alaskan Way Viaduct early, in time for Monday morning’s commute, with Bertha still digging near the structure.The Washington State Department of Transportation said officials decided to reopen the viaduct five days early because the dig showed no negative impacts to the structure.
Drone video gives up-close look inside SR 99 tunnel
SEATTLE -- Bertha the tunnel-boring machine has now excavated 117 feet of the 385 feet needed before the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct can reopen to traffic.Seattle Tunnel Partners has installed 17 rings since mining started up again on Friday, WSDOT announced Tuesday morning.State transportation officials also released new drone video showing progress inside the tunnel."Just a few days before the SR 99 tunneling machine started tunneling under the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the Washington State Department of Transportation flew a video-equipped drone through the SR 99 tunnel to show Seattle Tunnel Partners’ construction progress," WSDOT said. "On an average day, the tunnel is bustling with construction.
Thousands of sensors will check for movement as Bertha digs under viaduct
SEATTLE --The two-week closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct begins Friday, and drivers across the area are bracing for traffic gridlock.The tunnel-boring machine is in the process of replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct.Starting Friday, Bertha will dig directly beneath the viaduct and will have to get through about 350 feet for this phase of the project.The Washington State Department of Transportation has hired a contractor called Soldata to monitor Bertha's dig.Thousands of sensors both underground and on buildings along a two-mile stretch downtown will pick up any movement as Bertha digs just 15 feet below the foundation that supports the viaduct.As for traffic, WSDOT, the Seattle Department of Transportation and the Seattle Police Department will all be working in conjunction to keep traffic moving.“We will be monitoring our cameras on the key corridors where we expect traffic to be the worst,” Jon Layzer with SDOT said.SDOT is bracing for heavy traffic on Seattle's surface streets as 90,000 vehicles find alternate routes.
Widespread traffic gridlock expected as Alaskan Way Viaduct closes next Friday for Bertha dig
SEATTLE -- Next Friday, the Alaskan Way Viaduct will close for two weeks so Bertha can dig a tunnel only 15 feet below the foundation -- the closest the machine will come to any structure.When the huge machine crosses under Alaskan Way and Yesler Way, people may not feel the vibrations from the dig but many are likely to feel the pain of the resulting traffic gridlock.“It`s not going to be pretty,” commuter Tammie Burks said.Commute Seattle, along with the Washington State Department of Transportation, handed out brochures Friday encouraging companies and employees to change work hours.“If you don't have the ability to flex your hours, one great option, at least in the evening, is to stay downtown go to happy hour,” said Jessica Szelag, executive director of Commute Seattle, an organization supported by the Downtown Transportation Alliance.During a 2011 viaduct closure, the morning commute started two hours early, at 4 a.m., and lasted until 10 a.m. Going home, traffic built up as early as 2 p.m. and stayed congested until 8 p.m.And don`t think you`ll only feel it in Seattle.
Alaskan Way Viaduct closes for two weeks starting April 29 as Bertha digs underneath
SEATTLE -- The Alaskan Way Viaduct will close for about two weeks starting April 29 as Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, digs underneath.Bertha is about to start boring under the aging roadway, and the Washington State Department of Transportation says the long closure is a precaution in case something goes wrong.WSDOT officials say this will be a 24/7 closure between South Spokane Street and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel.
Two-week viaduct closure coming as Bertha tunnels underneath
SEATTLE -- Get ready for a major, two-week closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct -- and the traffic that’s sure to result.The Bertha tunneling machine is about to start boring under the aging roadway, and the Washington State Department of Transportation says the long closure is a precaution in case something goes wrong.No specific dates have been set for the shutdown, but the disruption is expected to happen within the next month.Ever since Bertha created that huge sinkhole along the waterfront earlier this year, WSDOT has been hovering over the tunnel contractor like a hawk, to make sure that all the problems have been fixed.
Bertha reaches planned maintenance stop -- next move is under Alaskan Way Viaduct
SEATTLE -- Bertha, the State Route 99 tunneling machine, reached a planned maintenance stop near Yesler Way on Saturday after successfully mining almost 300 feet during the past three weeks, the Washington State Department of Transportation said Monday.According to the contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners, the machine functioned within required operating parameters.
Tunnel-boring machine Bertha approaching South Washington Street, WSDOT says
SEATTLE -- Bertha, the State Route 99 tunneling machine, has traveled about 110 feet since the contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners, resumed mining on Feb. 23., the Washington State Department of Transportation said Thursday.The machine has tunneled a total of 1,391 feet and is approaching South Washington Street, WSDOT said.Crews are mining north to a planned maintenance stop just south of Yesler Way.
WSDOT lifts suspension, allows Bertha to continue digging SR 99 tunnel
SEATTLE -- State officials have lifted the suspension that halted Bertha from continuing to drill the SR 99 tunnel in downtown Seattle.WSDOT says the contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners, has been given conditional permission to continue mining.
Inslee takes aggressive stance toward Highway 99 tunnel contractor
OLYMPIA – There’s no resolution in sight for the ongoing mess under Seattle.Gov.