Bye, bye Bertha

After four years, Bertha finally broke through into daylight.  The politicians and the workers celebrated, but years of work still needs to be done.  It will take months just to disassemble the tired machine and haul it off for recycling.

The bottom of the vault is a mess of concrete dust, water, and polymer lubricants that Bertha sprayed forward. It will be another 2 years to finish highway decks, lights, ventilation and signals. Then they have to attach tunnel ramps around the north and south portals. Then they have to test everything, including emergency systems.

The tunnel will be tolled, of course, at the exact maximum drivers will pay, or everyone will just avoid it and take surface streets.  Which we will do anyway coming from West Seattle, since it won't help us trying to get to the Symphony.  The tunnel won't have entrances or exits through the business district. So the transportation saga continues, in a typical Seattle fashion.

We are home, and not all that happy about it.  The long term forecast shows rain in the forecast every day for the rest of the month.