Seattle Tunnel Contractor seeks $125 million from WSDOT for Bertha repairs
Apr 22, 2014, 2:05 PM | Updated: Apr 23, 2014, 7:45 am
The head of the Seattle tunnel project says getting Bertha moving again could cost around $125 million. And the contractor wants the state to pay for it.
The Washington State Department of Transportation confirmed Tuesday that Seattle Tunnel Partners requested $125 million from WSDOT to pay for repairing the Highway 99 tunneling machine. But in a statement, WSDOT officials say the agency has denied STP’s request.
“WSDOT and STP will use processes laid out in the contract to determine the next steps and who is responsible for costs associated with the stoppage. We have seen no evidence that suggests WSDOT or taxpayers will be responsible for costs associated with the current delay,” the statement said.
The Seattle Times reports Chris Dixon, project director for Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP), mentioned the figure to repair and restart the Highway 99 tunneling machine during a briefing Tuesday with the newspaper’s Editorial Board. He said it wasn’t a hard number.
STP announced Monday Bertha would not resume drilling again until next March. Dixon’s comments Tuesday were the first time officials with the project have associated a specific cost with the ongoing delays since Bertha ground to halt because of mechanical problems in December.
The big question is who will actually pay the cost for the repairs and delays. STP blames WSDOT, arguing a steel pipe left by state engineers during groundwater tests caused the damage to the world’s largest drilling machine. But state officials have argued the pipe was documented and STP should have known about its location and avoided drilling into it.
Dixon was joined at the briefing by Todd Trepanier, WSDOT’s Highway 99 program administrator. The pair reportedly emphasized they have maintained a close professional relationship despite the rift between the contractor and the state and ongoing disputes.
Dixon said Monday STP plans to start building a 125-foot deep circular pit next month in front of Bertha that will allow crews to remove the machine’s cutterhead and begin repairing damage to the seal system and main bearing.
