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Washington senators propose killing TBM Bertha

28 Jan 15 Two senators in the US state of Washington have put forward a bill to abandon a stalled US$3.1bn (£2bn) tunnelling scheme in Seattle and stop efforts to restart Bertha, the project’s tunnel boring machine.

An access pit is being built and a crane installed to extract the front end of the TBM
An access pit is being built and a crane installed to extract the front end of the TBM

The tunnel is being built to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct but senators Doug Erickson and Michael Baumgartner want to see the project abandoned in favour of a new scheme to refurbish or replace the bridge.

However, the chair of the Senate’s transportation committee has given assurances that the “Kill Bertha” bill will not get a hearing.

Bertha – the world’s largest TBM - has been stuck underground for more than a year while engineers implement a plan to put her back into operation (link opens in new tab).

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Washington State Department of Transportation has confirmed its continued commitment to the project. Contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners is constructing an access pit and installing a crane that will lift the front end of the TBM to the surface.

“Despite good intentions and the expenditure of over two billion dollars, the tunnel boring machine dubbed, "Bertha," was damaged during its initial operation in drilling after completing only one thousand twenty-six feet of a nearly two-mile tunnel,” said the senators. “The tunnel boring machine has ceased to function for over one year and is not anticipated to resume functioning at any time in the near future.”

Their proposed bill goes on to say: “The legislature, therefore, finds that the most prudent way forward is to cease all construction related to the state route number 99 Alaskan Way viaduct replacement project and prohibit the continued expenditure of funds on this project. The legislature further finds that any previously appropriated funds should be devoted to concluding the project with the least expense and researching alternative proposals for the viaduct, including a retrofit or construction of a new structure.”

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