Tag: State Route 99 tunnel

Roadbuilding

WSDOT wins $57.2M suit over Bertha’s breakdowns during Alaskan Way Viaduct project

The Washington State Department of Transportation has won a $57.2 million jury award in its lawsuit over delays in the Alaskan Way Viaduct project due to tunnel boring machine Big Bertha’s breakdown in 2013. The project was delayed for about three years as the contractor team of Seattle Tunnel Partners worked to get Bertha, then […]

December 31, 2019

Roadbuilding

Celebration planned to mark opening of new SR 99 tunnel in Seattle

The WSDOT will celebrate the grand opening of the new State Route 99 tunnel. Get more details and other heavy equipment industry news on Equipment World.

November 21, 2018

Roadbuilding

Seattle’s SR 99 tunnel, dug by TBM Bertha, nears completion

The State Route 99 tunnel in Seattle, Washington is officially getting its stripes which is a sign that the project is almost completed. Get more details here.

September 7, 2018

Roadbuilding

Last road panel installed in Seattle SR-99 tunnel dug by Bertha

The Washington State Department of Transportation reports that the last of 1,152 road panels have been installed on the new State Route 99 tunnel, which will replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The panels form the lower deck of the double-deck highway, which will allow drivers to travel under downtown Seattle as a bypass or stay […]

April 2, 2018

Roadbuilding

Bertha stopped after veering off course in home stretch of Seattle’s SR 99 tunnel

Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) stopped Bertha, the largest tunnel boring machine in the world, on Feb. 28 to make adjustments before it continues on its last 1,000 feet of the 9,270 tunnel for SR 99. Officials report recent surveys indicate the machine is potential out of alignment by several inches. “STP is conducting additional survey […]

March 3, 2017

Roadbuilding

Bertha will soon begin digging below the viaduct its path will replace

The world’s largest tunneling machine will soon begin its dig beneath the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, its first activity since mid-March. In January tunnel-boring machine Bertha broke through its repair wall following two years of down time only to be brought to a halt once again later that month at the order of Washington Gov. […]

April 27, 2016

Roadbuilding

Bertha is nearly ready to start tunneling again

The massive tunnel-boring machine that’s been sidelined in Seattle for two years could be back to boring by New Year’s. The Washington State Department of Transportation announced that the Seattle Tunnel Partners had begun the final preparations before drilling gets started again with soil and sand being poured into the 120-foot-deep access pit on Sunday. Bertha […]

December 17, 2015

Roadbuilding

Bertha delayed again; won’t restart drilling until late December

The Seattle Tunnel Partners have once again delayed the restart of drilling for the State Route 99 tunnel, with Bertha not expected to start work again until Dec. 23. The Washington State Department of Transportation announced the revised schedule Thursday and said the tunnel most likely would not open until April 2018. That puts the project two years and four […]

October 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

Crews prepare soil for Bertha to begin tunneling again

One of the last steps to getting Big Bertha back to boring beneath Seattle is underway. The Washington State Department of Transportation announced October 14 Seattle Tunnel Partners would begin doing jet grouting in the soil to stabilize the ground above where the massive tunnel-boring machine is set get to work. With jet grouting, a mix of […]

October 16, 2015

Roadbuilding

Damage to Big Bertha worse than previously thought

Now that crews are well into the process of dismantling her front-end for necessary repairs, it’s clear that damage to Big Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine, is worse than previously thought. Making matters worse, the tunneler likely won’t resume its work drilling the State Route 99 tunnel beneath Seattle by August as the project’s […]

May 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

Board rules WSDOT should have given contractor more warning about pipe struck by Big Bertha before stall

In regard to the drilling of the new State Route 99 tunnel below Seattle, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has few friends left. There remains disagreement between the department and the city of Seattle over who will pay to repair a water main damaged during the excavation of a repair pit for Big Bertha, […]

May 12, 2015

Roadbuilding

PHOTOS: Big Bertha’s 2,000-ton front end lifted to the surface. How the world’s largest tunneler was raised

[imagebrowser id=225] After a year of slumber and almost a month after chewing her way into a 12-story repair pit, Big Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine, is finally under repair in Seattle. Crews worked for the better part of March to disassemble the machine’s front end before lifting the machine’s cutterhead and body shield panels—a […]

April 1, 2015