Seattle Tunnel Project

Transportation is a very important aspect of the study of Geography. There are some great projects going on around the world and I would like to introduce you to one in my hometown of Seattle ! There is a double-decker viaduct (elevated highway) in Seattle running along the waterfront and Highway 99 runs along it. The viaduct is old and was damaged in an earthquake some years ago. For a long time, planners and government officials have been working on a way to replace the viaduct. Recently, they decided on a tunnel and work is now underway, with the most exciting part just about to get rolling – or should I say boring?

This week, “Bertha” arrived. Bertha is a machine that will be used to bore through the earth under the city of Seattle and create a tunnel big enough for several lanes and levels of traffic to pass through. Bertha is cool, she even has her own Twitter feed and Flickr account.

Bertha was built in Japan and shipped to Seattle very recently. The boring machine will be assembled in the pit shown above and soon, it will begin removing the earth and creating the tunnel. When completed, the tunnel will be about two miles long ! The planners, engineers and crews working on this massive project are scheduled to complete the tunnel by the end of 2015. The following year, they will demolish the old viaduct.

This is a great project for the Seattle waterfront. Right now, the noise of tens of thousands of cars per day make it difficult to enjoy the waterfront shops and attractions. In summer, thousands of people from all over the United States and other countries come to Seattle to start cruises to Alaska. Having a tourist friendly promenade will add to their vacation experience.