WATCH: How much of Bertha is still standing?
Jul 14, 2017, 4:56 PM | Updated: Jul 17, 2017, 12:08 pm
Bertha is halfway gone as crews are still tearing the machine apart piece-by-piece underneath Seattle.
RELATED: The work that remains after Bertha is done with the tunnel
The massive boring machine’s cutterhead has entirely been removed from the disassembly pit at the north end of the recently constructed tunnel. But the portion of the machine still inside the tunnel is taking longer to tear down. About half of Bertha remains — originally an 8,000 ton machine.
A flurry of purple and white sparks fly inside the tunnel as crews cut through the machine’s steel parts. Each piece is removed out the south end of the passageway.
The roadway inside the new SR 99 tunnel continues to be constructed as the machine is disassembled. The two-level roadway is expected to open in 2019.
