A concrete-filled sinkhole near the underground Bertha cutter head
I haven't mentioned Bertha lately, so you might have assumed she was drilling merrily away underneath Pioneer Square by now. Unfortunately, the saga of delay continues. A few days after being restarted in early January, a large sinkhole unexpectedly opened in her wake. The proximity of this collapse to the base of the teetering Alaska Way Viaduct was of "great concern" (to put it mildly.) The sinkhole was desperately filled with 250 cubic yards of concrete. To give you an idea, a concrete truck holds about 8 cubic yards. It was a BIG hole.
Of course there's been finger-pointing and controversy as to why this happened. In the meantime, Governor Jay Inslee issued an order to suspend the drilling until the cause can be determined. This will require the analysis of a group of independent, state-chosen construction experts and their written recommendations on how to proceed. Now the tunnel contractors are challenging the governor's order, claiming that delaying the project increases the risk of more sinkholes opening. What all this will cost in terms of time and money has not been determined.
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