Construction Update – Page 7 – Alliance for Pioneer Square

Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Update – June 2013

Milepost 31 Speaker Series – Operating the SR 99 tunneling machine

Bertha, the world’s largest tunneling machine, is currently being assembled in the SR 99 tunnel launch pit near Seattle’s stadiums. Join WSDOT for this month’s speaker series to find out next steps as crews test the machine and prepare to begin tunneling. You’ll also learn about some of the technological advances on the SR 99 tunneling machine, including how a 300-foot-long machine steers underground and what happens when the massive steel cutters on the front of the machine need to be changed.

6 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 6

Milepost 31

211 First Ave. S., Seattle

Admission is free.

After the talk, be sure to leave enough time to explore the rest of the First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square. Milepost 31 is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and stays open until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays. Free parking is available for First Thursday art walk patrons in Pioneer Square. Please visit www.FirstThursdaySeattle.com for more information about participating garages.

And don’t forget you can track Bertha’s journey to Seattle on Twitter by following @BerthaDigsSR99.

Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Update – May 2013

www.FirstThursdaySeattle.comMilepost 31 Speaker Series – Preparing for the SR 99 tunneling machine’s summer launch

After a 5,000 mile journey from Japan and 10 days of unloading, Bertha, the world’s largest-diameter tunneling machine, is officially on Seattle soil. Join us at this month’s speaker series for a project update including a behind-the-scenes look at the machine’s arrival. We’ll also talk about what’s next for Bertha as crews assemble her 41 pieces in the launch pit and prepare for the start of tunneling this summer.

6 to 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 2

Milepost 31

211 First Ave. S., Seattle

Admission is free.

After the talk, be sure to leave enough time to explore the rest of the First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square. Free parking is available for First Thursday art walk patrons in Pioneer Square. Please visit www.FirstThursdaySeattle.com for more information about participating garages.

What’s next for Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine

Now that spring is here, get outside and take a self-guided walking tour along the paved path west of the work site and watch as crews prepare to reassemble Bertha. Many of Bertha’s pieces including the cutterhead and trailing gear are visible in the work zone. Spot them now before the massive red crane begins lowering Bertha’s pieces into the launch pit. Reassembling and testing the machine will take two to three months. Bertha is scheduled to start digging this summer.

Building one road above another: the South Atlantic Street overpass

Crews continue to build the new South Atlantic Street overpass over SR 99 to the west of Seattle’s stadiums. The wooden forms you see are called falsework, which is a temporary structure that creates a mold where crews will pour concrete to build the permanent structure. Scheduled to open in late 2013, this overpass will allow traffic to bypass frequent train blockages on South Atlantic Street.

For more information about the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, visit www.alaskanwayviaduct.org. You can also track Bertha’s progress on Twitter by following @BerthaDigsSR99.

Puget Sound Energy natural gas relocation work taking place on South Jackson Street between Second and Third avenues

InfraSource, Puget Sound Energy’s natural gas service provider, started construction today along South Jackson Street between Second and Third avenues (see map). The work is to relocate portions of PSE’s natural gas system in coordination with the construction of the Seattle First Hill Streetcar Project. We expect the relocation work to be completed on or around April 21, 2013.

Work, which is expected to take place Mondays through Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., will entail open trenching in the roadway, relocating the existing 2-inch natural gas pipeline out of the pathway of the streetcar tracks along South Jackson Street, working with adjacent natural gas customers to relocate service lines to their property, and site restoration. We recognize the inconvenience to the neighborhood, and will do our best to minimize construction impacts as much as possible, including discontinuing work during major events in the area.

For more information on this project and other natural gas relocation projects in the area, please visit PSE.com/Viaduct. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Todd Beckley, InfraSource project manager, at 425-765-0551.