Watch the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project on YouTube

The Washington State Department of Transportation has a YouTube channel dedicated to the big construction project that has dominated the Seattle Waterfront for the past couple of years. Here you’ll find animated videos of how Bertha the world’s largest tunnel boring machine works, loving goodbyes to the old viaduct which the new tunnel will replace, and milestones throughout the project. Above is a video showing Mario driving a go-cart through a simulation WSDOT originally posted of a temporary route for SR 99.

As we’re learning about what’s really blocking Bertha the Tunnel Boring Machine, you may want to get caught up on what Bertha is doing underneath Pioneer Square and why she’s digging a 2-mile tunnel underneath Downtown Seattle. Visit Milepost 31, the information center dedicated to the area’s history and the technology used in the tunnel boring machine. It’s located in Pioneer Square and tours of the nearby launch site are held regularly, as well as a Speaker Series on First Thursdays. There’s also a fabulous historical website called ViaductHistory.com through which visitors can explore the history of the SR 99 viaduct and surrounding neighborhoods. You can even follow Bertha on Twitter!

Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project Update – November 2013

Milepost 31 Speaker Series – The SR 99 Tunnel Project: Your Questions Answered

People have a lot of questions about Bertha, the massive machine digging the SR 99 tunnel beneath downtown Seattle. What will happen if she hits a 10-foot boulder? When will the roadway inside the tunnel be built? How does Bertha’s conveyor system work? Join us for this month’s speaker series to hear tunneling expert Chris Bambridge, Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program Tunnel Design Engineer, answer the most commonly asked questions, and ask one of your own!

Thursday, Nov. 7

6 to 6:30 p.m.

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 – September 2013

Milepost 31 speaker series – Learn about the buildings that support the tunnel systems

Scale Bertha model at Milepost 31 in Pioneer Square

The new SR 99 tunnel’s vital functions – safety, lighting and ventilation systems – will be controlled from buildings located at both ends of the tunnel. Crews have already begun construction of the building at the south end just to the east of the tunneling machine’s launch pit. Join us for the next speaker series to learn about these sophisticated buildings, how they are sustainably designed, and what the completed structures and their surroundings will look like.

Thursday, Sept. 5

6 to 7 p.m.

Milepost 31

211 First Ave. S., Seattle

Admission is free.

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