As the Seattle tunnel project gets further and further behind schedule, top officials of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program appear to be jumping ship. Though he says his departure has nothing to do with the Highway 99 project’s delay, Todd Trepanier— the state’s Highway 99 administrator—will abandon the project to accept a new position.
Trepanier is the second high-profile WSDOT employee to leave the project. Matt Preedy, the state’s deputy administrator for the tunnel project, announced his departure in April.
No one can really blame them for leaving the problem-plagued project for bigger and better jobs. The tunnel is a whopping 27 months behind schedule. Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel boring machine will only resume drilling in November, three months later than expected.
