Highway 99 tunnel-machine update: State says, stay stopped

Two weeks after WSDOT told its Highway 99 tunnel contractor to stop digging, it’s still not ready to give the green light for digging to resume, according to this update late today:

Last week, Seattle Tunnel Partners submitted their analysis of recent incidents on the SR 99 Tunnel Project. WSDOT and their tunnel experts determined STP’s analysis did not sufficiently address the cause of these incidents or specify how they would prevent them from occurring in the future.

(WSDOT graphic from January 13th)
WSDOT has notified the contractor that in order to lift the suspension for cause, STP must confirm that:

· The tunneling machine is operating as intended and meets the design-build contract’s technical requirements.

· All necessary training for staff on the tunneling machine is complete.

· The tunneling work plan is updated to address the issues that led to the sinkhole.

· Processes are in place to ensure STP’s tunneling work plan is followed.

· STP updates its quality program to ensure key quality program managers are involved in all tunneling activities.

It is STP’s responsibility to determine how to address these issues and ensure they are in compliance with the technical requirements of the contract. This section of the tunnel drive was designed to be a test section for operation of the tunneling machine. With approximately 250 feet of tunneling prior to reaching the next planned maintenance stop, demonstration of these steps is critical.

No indication of exactly how this is affecting the schedule aside from obviously pushing it back at least two weeks – including the expected Viaduct closure when the tunnel machine goes beneath it, previously expected to happen in March.

19 Replies to "Highway 99 tunnel-machine update: State says, stay stopped"

  • Mark32 January 28, 2016 (6:05 pm)

    What will we get first, a working tunnel or an NBA team? 

    • Andros January 28, 2016 (8:07 pm)

      NBA team. For sure. 

  • East Coast Cynic January 28, 2016 (8:39 pm)

    Maybe the NHL first:).

  • TheKing January 28, 2016 (8:45 pm)

    I say the M’s grab a pennant before the tunnel is open.

  • BerthaSchmertha January 28, 2016 (9:34 pm)

    I still think we’ll have hover cars before this tunnel is completed!

  • K'lo January 28, 2016 (10:27 pm)

    Safe hover boards! Oh, and learning to practice patience, world peace, a balanced budget and equality for all . . . .

  • dsa January 29, 2016 (1:04 am)

    This is really an interesting turn of events with the contractor wanting to proceed and the state saying not so fast, get your house in order first.  When they started to stop dewatering I thought Bertha might  drown, but apparently she is below that strata now or they resumed dewatering.  Details are lacking.

  • Smitty January 29, 2016 (6:24 am)

     I have to admit, it’s kind of fun watching its defenders slowly come around and realize what a disaster this idea is/was.

  • Kellie January 29, 2016 (7:31 am)

    I think the hole thing is crazy … lets just stop it before we through more money in to the hole .  rebuild the viaduct and don’t toll is for using it . Like they plan on with the tunnel!

  • Eddie January 29, 2016 (7:39 am)

    By the State sticking it’s nose in, it will assume some liability for cost/schedule overruns. Had they stayed out of it that liability would be less clouded.

  • David January 29, 2016 (7:41 am)

    Just politics.  At heart there was ONE single issue.  A machine broke.  Like your car, water heater, fridge, any machine…in this case is a “one off” one of a kind tunnel machine.  It overheated due to something that shouldn’t have damaged it (broke seal, damaged motors).   That was fixed.  Ok.  Fine.  Engineering 101. Something breaks, fix it.  It took longer than normal due to this being a tunnel and THANK GOD it did this right at the start, like a car breaking down before you leave the lot, and not in the middle of the freeway.  So done?  NOPE.  Politics now!   Politicians want to “look in charge”.   Of COURSE there are sink holes along the waterfront.  That’s NOT soil.  Lets repeat that again, it’s NOT tunneling into soil yet (just barely).  That area that sunk is “fill”…it’s sand, gravel and junk dumped into the old tidelands to create the downtown waterfront.  It’s NOT actual soil (compacted by thousands of year of geologic processes.  This wasn’t shocking.   Or unexpected.  They saw, talked about it, fixed it…but the gov wants to “look in charge” so now even though NOTHING IS WRONG with the machine, it’s just sitting there.  Good job guys.  (sigh)

  • Pile-o-Rox January 29, 2016 (8:04 am)

     This should be par for the course for all of us Seattleites. Analysis paralysis is the norm here – other than when spending on social issues, and then we just flush money down the toilet – sometimes almost literally (e.g., Pioneer Square’s great public bathroom experiment). I am surprise sometimes that our politicians can get out of bed in the morning without having to convene a committee to conduct a study to consider the issue.  We all deserve better. Much, much better. It would be comical if it weren’t so pathetic. No wonder we spend billions and have little to show for it. I mean really people, Ed Murray? I wouldn’t hire him to manage a McDonald’s, let alone a city. 

    • Safety Officer January 29, 2016 (6:47 pm)

      Murray deserves to wind up unemployed and homeless. 

  • KBear January 29, 2016 (9:44 am)

    None of this necessarily means cost overruns for the state. The contractor has to honor their bid unless they can prove in court that the state is in some way responsible for the delays.

    • Rick January 29, 2016 (9:54 am)

      Please look at the contractors history before defending them.

      • mark47n January 29, 2016 (10:59 pm)

        KBear wasn’t defending the contractor. KBear was simply stating that the contractor must honor the bid. Of course, change orders can increase/decrease that, (though I’ve never seen it decrease a price), as well as back-charges. 

  • Pile-o-Rox January 29, 2016 (9:57 am)

    So – in other words, the tunneling will never restart. STP has already confirmed all of the requests. What WSDOT means is that STP must PROVE:· The tunneling machine is operating as intended and meets the design-build contract’s technical requirements.and· The tunneling work plan is updated to address the issues that led to the sinkhole.  Neither of the above is readily subject to “proof” – in fact, we don’t really know what “issues” led to the sinkhole, other than the fact that the current portion of the dig is in fill (unlike a supermajority of the remainder). No wonder neither the state nor city can make efficient use of resources. I wouldn’t hire a single one of the bureaucrats to flip burgers.     

  • wetone January 29, 2016 (12:35 pm)

      David,  why would government want to be more involved in project ?  I think any  government in “right mind” would run and  want no ties.  For governor Inslee  to get this involved so quickly all of a sudden means to me (a common sense person) project has  some real serious  issues  that need addressed.  Not an Inslee fan but I give him kudos  on  this one.  Whether infrastructure improvements done already or related to project down the road, court cost to fight cost overruns and other related issues (I know there’s insurance that’s “supposed” to cover) , don’t forget “TOLLS”   Tax payers of Washington will be paying for a blunder that does nothing to improve transit around city…  and people wonder why city doesn’t have money to fix infrastructure….  

  • Rick January 29, 2016 (1:08 pm)

    “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”. Still haven’t figured it out yet? Crap, and I’m from Kansas!

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