Bertha

Alaskan Way Viaduct

Another, Final(?) Delay for Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement

The Washington Department of Transportation announced that Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct will close permanently in January 2019, with service switching over the tunnel Bertha built. The previous plan expected the switch to occur in the Fall.

September 19, 2018 - Associated Press via Tri City Herald

Seattle Tunnel Boring

Bertha Finally Breaks On Through (To the Other Side)

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.

April 5, 2017 - Publicola

Alaskan Way Viaduct

Bertha Effect: Tunnel Project Delayed Until 2019, Plus $223 Million in Overruns

The chickens have come home to roost in Seattle, where the state has tallied up the cost and time overruns for the Highway 99 tunnel project.

July 23, 2016 - The Seattle Times

A Drill Not Named Bertha Got Stuck in Seattle

A drill named Pamela, tasked with digging the tunnel for the Sound Transit light rail extension from Husky Stadium to Northgate, was stuck in the dirt under Seattle for several months.

February 12, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Tunnel Boring

Bertha Stuck Again: Sinkhole Prompts Suspension of Highway 99 Tunnel Project

The adventure of Bertha the tunnel-boring machine, already two years behind schedule, has a new twist.

January 16, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Tunnel Boring

Bertha Awakens—New Hope After a Two-Year Delay for Seattle Tunnel-Boring Machine

Baby steps are an improvement for the tunnel-boring machine known as Bertha. The drill moved a total of 1.5 feet this week, but the symbolic distance probably felt like a mile.

December 27, 2015 - The Seattle Times

Gov. Christie Hired to Try Reverse Psychology on Bertha Tunnel-Boring Machine

With the Bertha tunneling-boring machine stuck in the mud under Seattle for more than a year, officials turned to a politician known for his ability to stop transportation in its tracks.

April 1, 2015 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

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.

February 20, 2015 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Tunnel Boring

How Seattle's 'Rose-tinted Fantasy' Threw Billions in Public Money Away

"Seattle is in the midst of a full-spectrum transportation fustercluck," writes David Roberts for Grist.

December 23, 2014 - Grist

Forget Sunk Cost—What's the Best Way to Spend Bertha's Remaining Funds?

Seattle’s massive highway tunneling project delays while solutions are sought for the mechanical error that brought the project’s massive drilling machine, Bertha, to a halt. Some are starting to examine life after Bertha.

February 14, 2014 - Seattle Transit Blog

With Bertha Stuck in the Mud, Officials Question Contractor Conduct

Though Seattle's giant tunneling machine remains stuck 60 feet under South Main Street, muck is starting to be flung above the surface. An email from Washington's Transportation Secretary reveals concerns over the conduct of the machine's operators.

January 21, 2014 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Tunnel Boring

What's Blocking Seattle's Tunnel-Boring Behemoth?

Is it a giant rock? What about a sunken ship? Beneath Seattle's waterfront, a mysterious object has halted Bertha, the world's largest tunnel-boring machine. Stumped engineers are unclear on how long a highway tunneling project will be suspended.

December 20, 2013 - The New York Times

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