The giant, deep tunnel boring machine that is resting underneath Seattle right now in what was intended to be the State Route 99 tunnel “are worse than originally thought, WSDOT officials said Monday, possibly pointing to further delays with tunnel completion.”
Two years behind schedule, the machine dubbed Bertha has already caused the city many financial and feasibility problems. In April of 2014, damages to Bertha exceeded $125 million – and that was over a year ago. Fast-forward to 2015 and Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program Administrator Todd Trepanier is now admitting “the damage is much more extensive than what they felt they were going to find” – an admission that will surely be followed by an ask for more money to fund damage reparations.
An updated timeline for the completion of the project is expected to be available in June, yet if the damage is severe enough – the question of whether Bertha is an even viable option to continue to fund may gain more standing. The tunnel has spent much of its time too damaged to function correctly, rendering the machine useless as it rests below Pioneer Square. Even when not damaged, Bertha has been progressing minimally when the machine does actually move.
Seattle City Councilmember O’Brien said “I’m questioning some of the judgment calls that are happening behind a curtain that we don’t have a peak at”.
