Alaskan Way Viaduct
Welcoming Bertha, the World’s Biggest Tunnel Boring Machine
Advice for the new girl.
The world’s largest-diameter tunnel boring machine (TBM) is travelling all the way from Osaka, Japan to dig the two-mile-long tunnel that will replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Named for Seattle’s first and only woman mayor, Bertha Landes (a tough groundbreaker herself), the sharp-toothed, 7,000-ton Bertha may have a little trouble busting through “the Seattle freeze.” We…
Viaduct for Dummies: What’s Fun About Shutting Down the Viaduct?
There’s been a lot of uneasy muttering here at SeaMag World Headquarters lately, ever since SDOT made it real and announced the dates of the first Viaduct-wrecking party (Oct. 21-31). Though we know it might one day try to kill us, several of us still insist upon using the thing to get to and from…
Viaduct for Dummies: Tunnel Clears Hurdle; Environmental Impact Statement Signed
From the mixed-metaphors department here at Seattle mag comes this update on the ever-updating saga that is the future of our waterfront: City officials are celebrating this week’s signing of the final Alaskan Way Viaduct environmental impact statement, which effectively removes one more hurdle on the replacement project’s road to realization. Like most viaduct/tunnel updates,…