Seattle tunnel contractor fires back at WSDOT for recent criticisms, demands meeting
Jan 16, 2014, 4:56 PM | Updated: Jan 17, 2014, 8:52 am
The project director for the new Seattle tunnel is firing back at the Washington State Department of Transportation for recent criticism of the contractors.
Seattle Tunnel Partners project director Chris Dixon sent a letter Thursday to WSDOT secretary Lynn Peterson, lawmakers and other officials saying that while STP and WSDOT have enjoyed a good working relationship on the SR 99 tunnel, “recent actions by WSDOT, for reasons with STP does not understand, have the potential of seriously damaging this relationship and adversely affect WSDOT’s and STP’s ability to move forward together to deliver this project.”
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The letter follows two critical announcements about STP made this week by Peterson and WSDOT. The first came Monday, when WSDOT announced STP was in “breach of contract” for failing to hire enough women and minorities. Peterson also sent a letter to lawmakers Wednesday saying WSDOT has had concerns about Bertha the drilling machine since last July.
The drilling machine has been halted since Dec. 6 about 60 feet below ground along the Seattle waterfront. It was ultimately determined a steel pipe left over by a previous surveying project by WSDOT is at least partially to blame for the stoppage and potential damage to the machine.
Dixon called out WSDOT for casting STP “in a very bad light” in a press release and briefing about the hiring requirements dispute, along with the letter and interviews Peterson conducted regarding her concerns about the project.
“We are surprised that WSDOT appears to be attempting to shift the responsibility for the cost and time impacts associated with the current TBM stoppage to STP when WSDOT understands that the cause of this stoppage was the encountering of a steel well casing, which was installed and left in place by WSDOT,” Dixon wrote.
Dixon requested a meeting at the earliest possible convenience to help “preserve the good working relationship” and address Peterson’s concerns.
A WSDOT spokesman declined comment on the letter. In an interview Thursday before the letter was released, Peterson told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson while she is asking “hard questions” of STP about the machine and project, she remains confident and “the benefits of this project far outweigh this kind of small delay that we’re experiencing right now.”
