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Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project Update – July 2014

Contractor announces details of repair work plan for the SR 99 tunneling machine

Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, has always been big. The focus now is on rebuilding Bertha and making her better, according to a new repair work plan unveiled Monday, June 16, by Seattle Tunnel Partners, our design-build contractor for the SR 99 Tunnel Project.

STP’s work plan (pdf 4.8 Mb), which is illustrated in a new animation (view on YouTube), contains four major repair and enhancement elements:

Replacing the damaged seal system with a more robust system
Replacing the main bearing
Installing enhanced monitoring systems
Adding steel to strengthen the machine and accommodate the new seal system

Other major enhancements of the work plan include:

Widening the openings at the center of the cutterhead
Improving the soil conditioning injection system
Installing bit- and wear-resistant steel on the cutterhead
Extending the length of the agitator arms in the mixing chamber

STP will provide WSDOT with additional supporting information about rebuilding the machine in the coming months, in accordance with the design-build contract, to demonstrate how the repairs will meet the contract’s performance and technical requirements, including:

An analysis demonstrating that the machine’s structure can withstand all loads from the surrounding ground and its own operation
Seal design details and background calculations
Design of revised conditioner injection systems and cutterhead openings
Updated operations plan including enhanced instrumentation and monitoring for key machine components
Complete testing program for all modified machine components prior to restart of mining

Bertha is currently stopped approximately 60 feet underground between South Jackson and South Main streets. As owner of the machine, STP is responsible for ensuring it functions properly at all times. STP is currently building the underground walls of a circular pit (pdf 2.5 Mb) crews will use to access and repair the machine.

No Milepost 31 speaker series in July

Due to the July Fourth holiday, there will be no Milepost 31 speaker series event this month. We look forward to seeing you in August.

All of the Above: What’s Behind the Revitalization of PSQ

I’m the first to say that I’ve got the best gig in town.

People seem most intrigued by the “retail recruitment” aspect of my work for good reason. What’s not to like about being the neighborhood matchmaker? I get to connect brilliant retail and restaurant businesses with fabulous spaces in our beautiful historic district. Beat that.

It’s not about filling vacant street level spaces with whomever is ready to sign a lease. Far from it. It’s about finding those quality, intriguing, and relevant retail businesses that will make Pioneer Square an even better place to live, work, and visit. The recruitment strategy developed in 2012 with the help of community stakeholders suggested guidelines for a particular mix of restaurants, retail, and services. It also recommended leading the recruitment effort with food. 26 new storefront businesses opened in Pioneer Square in 2013, 15 of them restaurants. More are scheduled to open in this summer. Not a bad start, right?

What kinds of retail businesses are great candidates? Sometimes it’s an existing business ready to expand or try a new concept. Other times it’s a new venture that’s been the dream of someone working behind the lines for someone else. Sometimes it’s someone I’ve personally invited to take a walk around the neighborhood. Others find their way here all on their own. My goal is to generate a buzz about all that’s happening in our business district. When creative entrepreneurs are ready to “set up shop”, we want them to think about Pioneer Square. Regardless of how they get here, my job is then to help new businesses understand the vision of the neighborhood, help navigate the waters of administrative permits and approvals, connect them to whatever resources might be useful, introduce them to other businesses, and help them spread the word.

As the story of Pioneer Square’s revitalization gets more attention, I’m often asked “what was the real turning point?” Was it the restaurants? The apartments at Stadium Place? The tech companies? The King Street Station renovation? The streetcar? The waterfront? The stadiums? The ….?

Of course, you know the answer. It’s all of the above. And it takes time. Stadium Place, for example, was over ten years in the making. No one program, including the retail recruitment and business development program that fills my days, stands alone. If the Alliance for Pioneer Square hadn’t partnered with so many community stakeholders to weave a sustainable infrastructure based on a comprehensive neighborhood plan, the changes we’re buzzing about wouldn’t stand a chance.

For instance, if it hadn’t been for those long-fought battles:

The streetcar route would have ended in the Chinatown/International District.
Metered parking would still go until 8:00 PM.
After losing those hundreds of parking spaces under the viaduct, there would have been no mitigation dollars to subsidize short-term parking in four neighborhood garages to be cheaper than street parking – and fund free parking for First Thursday.
There’d be no marketing of the neighborhood. (Think maps, social media, and those awesome bus ads!)
There would be no advocate at the table to make certain our interests are represented in talks about the waterfront, street civility, transportation and public transit, parks, historic preservation, stadiums, housing, etc.

We’re not done. Not even close. We’ll continue to move things forward, welcoming all who care about the future of Pioneer Square to be part of the effort. I’ll continue to watch for cool retail to complement the anchors who have been here for decades, as well as the newest kids on the block.

I welcome all ideas and suggestions about possible retailers – or other kinds of cool uses – that you think might add to the magic of Pioneer Square. What have you seen in another neighborhood or what did you see during that trip to Florence, Prague, or Nashville that would be perfect here? I want to know. The coffee’s on me.

Oh, and be sure to sign up here to join me at the neighborhood Spring Clean on April 19.

KAREN TRUE

Director of Business Development

ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER SQUARE

Milepost 31 Speakers Series – Bertha and Progress on the SR 99 Tunnel Project

You’ve been hearing a lot lately about WSDOT’s efforts to replace the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct (AWV). This is a big, complex undertaking. And as we all know, we’ve encountered some challenges. Join Matt Preedy, AWV Deputy Program Administrator, as he explains how WSDOT and STP are addressing these challenges and what the plan is to get Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, moving again.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

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 find regular updates about Bertha on Twitter by following @BerthaDigsSR99.