First piece of Bertha lifted out of SR 99 tunnel
May 4, 2017, 9:20 AM
Crews are cutting pieces of Bertha in preparation of removing the machine from the SR 99 tunnel. (WSDOT)
(WSDOT)
Seattle Tunnel Partners lifted the first piece, albeit a small one, of Bertha out of the tunnel on Wednesday.
RELATED: The Hank, The Bertha or Fast Eddie: Naming the new Seattle tunnel
Crews cut a chunk of the SR 99 tunneling machine’s shield to confirm the sectional weight ahead of cutting and lifting other pieces of the machine, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Meanwhile, crews are also preparing the machine’s cutterhead for a series of lifts by slicing the steel that connects the cutterhead’s spokes and welding lifting eyes so the front of the machine can be removed by a 400-ton crane.
The entire disassembly process is expected to last up to five months.
What will happen to Bertha? | You can view the progress on the site’s time-lapse construction cameras.
Bertha broke through a wall at the north end of the tunnel near Sixth Avenue and Thomas Street on April 4.
The $3.1 billion tunnel project is scheduled to open in 2019, four years behind schedule, according to the Associated Press.
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