Digging underway on Bertha repair pit

Crews have started digging a pit they’ll use to access and repair Bertha, the big tunneling drill stuck under the Seattle waterfront.

Seattle Tunnel Partners said an excavator rolled into place Friday night and has taken the first scoops of soil from what will become a 120-foot-deep, 80-foot-wide pile-supported pit.

Bertha has been stuck near Pier 48 since December when she overheated while tunneling the new SR 99.

STP said about 20,000 cubic yards of soil will be removed from the pit over the course of the project. The dirt will be hauled away by truck or barge to a disposal facility.

Since there are several other construction activities happening near the pit, STP said there will be days when excavation is put on hold. However, crews will continue to lower groundwater in the areas around Bertha and prepare for a crane that will be used to lift her to the surface later this fall.