The Bertha tunnel boring machine was once stuck under the city of Seattle for more than a year. Now it has reached its goal, four years after it began its journey.
"Nearly four years and 9,270 feet later, the SR 99 tunneling machine nicknamed 'Bertha' emerged from under the Alaskan Way Viaduct near the Seattle Center shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday," reports Hayat Norimine.
Norimine's focus is more on the humor in the situation, which is how people in Seattle have been coping with Bertha for some time now.
Bertha’s reappearance—after two years of delays, a lawsuit between the state and its contractors Seattle Tunnel Partners over machine damage, and millions of dollars in costs—was broadcast through a WSDOT Live Stream, and very quickly the hashtag #BerthaBreakthrough became a source of inspiration for Seattleites ready to respond with GIFs.
On other local sites, Tom Fucoloro writes that despite the Seattle Bike Blog's long opposition to the project, the project's crews deserve a victory lap for completing the job this week.
David Kroman also writes of the litigious past of the company behind the design-build project, Seattle Tunnel Partners, and the litigious future likely in store for all those involved with the project.
Mike Londblom's coverage of the breakthrough for the Seattle Times also has an eye on the future, describing this week's celebration as "halftime" for the project.
Also be sure to check out Planetizen's ongoing coverage of Bertha's journey.
FULL STORY: Bertha’s Journey Inspires Breakthrough GIFs
Bertha on the Move Again in Seattle
Finally, a breakthrough we've all been waiting for: Bertha is on the move again in Seattle and will soon be ready for repairs. The tunnel Bertha was built to drill will have to wait, however.
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