Highway 99 tunnel-machine update: Projected restart date now Christmas Eve-Eve

| Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle news

Tunnel update just in from WSDOT: The newest monthly construction schedule from its contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners, has slid another month. If this one holds, the tunnel machine will resume work on December 23rd, and if all goes well, the tunnel would open in April 2018. Read WSDOT’s update in full – including what’s happening near the access pit along the Viaduct – by going here.

JanS October 22, 2015 (2:49 pm)

I can only say…seeing is believing ;-)

urn42 October 22, 2015 (2:54 pm)

“If” :D

chemist October 22, 2015 (3:32 pm)

Just to properly set expectations, there are 7 different performance tests set to start as early as Dec 23rd. Run a bunch of performance tests, chew through maybe 10 ft of soil during that, and then shut down for Christmas-New Years break is likely.

h October 22, 2015 (3:43 pm)

Pull up the old trolly cars while you’re there WSDOT. We can reuse them in WS :)

Smitty October 22, 2015 (4:13 pm)

Is anyone surprised?

This is just a nightmare.

Les October 22, 2015 (5:07 pm)

Has anyone involved with this tunnel project been fired yet?
Please vote no on prop 1 our leaders are not able to do anything on budget or on time.

smokeycretin9 October 22, 2015 (5:19 pm)

Boondoggle noun

A boondoggle is a project that is considered a useless waste of both time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy or political motivations.

onion October 22, 2015 (5:28 pm)

What is the point of restarting on Christmas Eve-Eve? So they get a single day of tunneling in before taking an extended holiday break? Or do they plan to work throughout Christmas?? Perhaps they think resuming work is a small Christmas treat for Seattle.

SomeGuy October 22, 2015 (6:55 pm)

Awesome, just need the viaduct until I retire in 13 years! Keep up the good work STP!!

TheKing October 23, 2015 (3:50 am)

Drug traffickers at the Mexico border are laughing at us. They can tunnel 800 meters in 23 days.

Rick October 23, 2015 (8:00 am)

A client of mine who’s an engineer on the tunneling portion of the project told me that in their own opinion there is a 50/50 chance of completion. Now that’s an Ed Murray guarantee!

KT October 23, 2015 (1:42 pm)

An obvious ploy to start again in the last minutes of 2015 so they don’t have to announce Bertha will resume tunneling in 2016. When does the contest start to identify the best uses for the completes entrance/exit of a nonexistent tunnel?