Delay grows: Seattle Tunnel Partners’ new estimate says tunnel will open in August 2017
Dec 22, 2014, 2:15 PM | Updated: 3:11 pm
The Washington State Department of Transportation says Seattle Tunnel Partners believe they will begin tunneling again in April 2015 and the tunnel will open to traffic in August 2017. (WSDOT image)
(WSDOT image)
Drivers won’t be traveling in the underground tunnel meant to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct until August 2017, according to the latest estimate from Seattle Tunnel Partners.
On Monday, the Washington State Department of Transportation released an update that said Seattle Tunnel Partners believe they will resume tunneling again in April 2015 and they estimate the project will be open for traffic in August 2017.
WSDOT notes the August 2017 date is long after the original anticipated opening date of December 2015, and also later than the November 2016 projection offered since Bertha’s tunneling halt.
While STP is providing this revised completion date, WSDOT says they are unable to endorse the date until Bertha’s repair is farther along.
“While STP provides us with a schedule each month, we cannot endorse a project completion date until the work is further along,” says the release from WSDOT. “This is very difficult work and certain construction activities have and will continue to take longer than anticipated.”
STP has been building a 120-foot pit to access the damaged boring machine that has been stalled since breaking down in Dec. 2013. Plans call for crews to lift the massive cutting head off the machine and lift it to the surface for repairs.
“While we are confident the project will be completed,” WSDOT said in the release, “a schedule we can endorse will likely come into greater focus only after the access pit is complete and the tunneling machine has demonstrated it can successfully mine.”
WSDOT says moving forward they will post STP’s monthly schedule updates online here.
