Tag: Washington State Department of Transportation: Page 6

Construction Equipment

Camera gives a live view of construction on Big Bertha’s 12-story repair access pit

Just because Big Bertha is down for nearly a year, that doesn’t mean work around the world’s largest tunnel boring machine has come to a halt. And now thanks to a camera set up by the Washington State Department of Transportation, anyone can watch as that work progresses. After completing one-tenth of the 1.7-mile State Route 99 […]

May 13, 2014

Roadbuilding

Washington State’s Willapa River Bridge opens

The Willapa River Bridge on State Route 6 in Pacific County, Washington is set to open to motorists on Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced this week. WSDOT noted that contractor Rotschy Inc. intends to shift traffic to the new bridge by Wednesday afternoon. Construction on the 36-foot-wide concrete bridge began last […]

April 29, 2014

Roadbuilding

WSDOT, U.S. DOT respond to landslide covering Washington State Route 530

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is taking action to keep drivers safe after a landslide overtook State Route 530 near the town of Oso on Saturday. The state Department of Natural Resources estimates the slide to be 1500 feet long, 4,400 feet wide and more than 600 feet high, with debris about 30-40 […]

March 25, 2014

Construction Equipment

Repairs to Big Bertha will require a 12-story pit and removing the tunnel-boring machine’s cutterhead

Officials from the Washington State Department of Transportation have announced that in order to repair the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine, her head will need to come off. The announcement, which came during a presentation to city council members in Seattle, comes nearly three weeks after WSDOT officials announced that Big Bertha would be out of […]

February 27, 2014

Construction Equipment

Tunnel-boring machine Big Bertha shut down for “months” due to complexity of needed repairs

Washington State Department of Transportation officials say Big Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine, is likely out of commission for months. An inspection conducted after the machine overheated in late January found that several cutterhead openings were clogged with dirt along with considerable damage to seals around the machine’s main bearing, according to a report […]

February 11, 2014

Construction Equipment

Tunnel-boring machine Big Bertha moves forward 2 feet in test run to see if blockage is fully removed

After nearly two months of downtime caused by a steel pipe stuck in her teeth, Big Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine, briefly went back to work beneath Seattle. According to a report from the Associated Press, the Washington State Transportation Department announced that Bertha moved two feet on Tuesday which was just enough progress […]

January 30, 2014

Construction Equipment

A steel pipe is what brought Big Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine, to a halt

The mystery is solved—in part at least. After Big Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine, was brought to an abrupt halt on December 6th, officials at the Washington State Department of Transportation were stumped as to what was in the way. Now they know that the obstruction is a large steel pipe. A steel pipe […]

January 6, 2014

Construction Equipment

Unstoppable Force, Immovable Object: Seattle’s Big Bertha halted by mystery object

Has Big Bertha met her match? She has, at least for the time being. The world’s largest tunnel-boring machine was recently brought to a halt 60 feet beneath the streets of Seattle, Washington when it hit an unknown object and could move no farther, reported KOMOnews.com. The five-story head of the machine was completely brought […]

December 19, 2013

Roadbuilding

The ABCs of RCC

Roller-compacted concrete advances its invasion of pavements.

December 4, 2013

Roadbuilding

20,000 Washington residents expected to celebrate Walk to School Day

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced Monday that it estimates 20,000 students, parents, teachers and community leaders in Washington will participate in International Walk to School Day on Wednesday. Walk to School Day is celebrated to encourage students to try walking or biking to school rather than driving or riding in a motor […]

October 7, 2013

Roadbuilding

MAP-21: The good, the bad and the lessons learned

With reauthorization less than a year away, many agencies are thinking about ways lawmakers can improve the new federal bill. Four American Public Works Association (APWA) Transportation Committee members joined last month at the APWA Congress and Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, to lead a discussion about the good and bad of the Moving Ahead for […]

September 30, 2013

Roadbuilding

Crews move I-5 permanent replacement span into place

[Correction: The article previously noted that WSDOT expects work to be completed in early October. It has been edited to reflect the correct time frame, in mid November.) The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced Sunday that the permanent replacement bridge for the Interstate 5 Skagit River Bridge opened to traffic over the weekend. […]

September 16, 2013