Photos: North end of Seattle tunnel quickly taking shape
Aug 15, 2016, 10:12 AM
The Space Needle is seen between two ventilation stacks at the north end of what will become the SR 99 tunnel. (WSDOT)
(WSDOT)
As Bertha the tunnel boring machine continues to churn her way under Seattle, another portion of the $3-billion-plus project is coming along.
A comparison photo posted by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows the difference two years of work has made at the north end of the tunnel.
Photos posted by WSDOT show the progress crews have made at the north end of the Seattle tunnel project. (WSDOT)
Unlike Bertha’s work, which has been marred by delays and pushed the opening of the SR tunnel from 2015 to sometime in 2019, the two tunnel ends are a different story.
Related: Has the perception of Bertha and the Seattle Tunnel project changed?
In addition to the work being done in the north end of the project, crews broke ground this month on a new bridge that will connect northbound SR 99 to South Dearborn Street. Construction of the $3.56-million ramp should last about nine months.
Meanwhile, Bertha recently entered “Zone 5,” moving between Seneca Street to Union Street on the path that runs parallel with First Avenue. The boring machine has now traveled 3,670 of the needed 9,270 feet. It’s gone 280 feet in August, according to the state. A total of 556 of the 1,426 rings have been built.
Acting Secretary of WSDOT Roger Millar recently said that in order to keep the project moving, the state will need up to $60 million more. Costs to acquire rights-of-way in Bertha’s path have been higher than expected, partially because WSDOT had to extend agreements during the delay. Then there are the costs of demolishing the viaduct, which WSDOT says have also risen because of the delay.
That adds up to about $60 million, or a 1.8-percent budget increase to the 2017-19 biennium. The state legislature has approved $3.1 billion for the project so far.
WSDOT reports that a total provisional budget of $223 million is needed to get the whole job done. That’s a 6.6-percent increase. WSDOT’s first priority is obtaining the $60 million to cover more immediate costs.
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