Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project Construction Update – January 2014

Progress made in search for tunnel blockage

It was a busy holiday season for crews working to get Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, digging again. While we still can’t say for sure what halted the machine on Dec. 6, we’re much closer to finding an answer than we were when all of this started.

Here’s a recap of what crews have been up to since the blockage occurred:

On Dec. 7, our contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP), began prepping the machine and surrounding environment so crews could inspect the cutterhead and excavation chamber safely.
On Dec. 17, a brief visual inspection of a small section of the excavation chamber and cutterhead found dirt, sand and cobbles – nothing unusual.
Over the holidays, STP crews were on-site to drill dewatering wells, maintain the machine and switch out cutting tools on the machine’s face.
Earlier this week, STP drilled 17 small-diameter, exploratory holes near the front of the machine to see if they could identify an obstruction. They encountered obstructions in four of the holes.
On Jan. 2, the water pressure was low enough and enough soil was removed from the excavation chamber to inspect the top 15 feet of the chamber.
This inspection showed an 8-inch-diameter steel pipe protruding through one of the many openings in the cutterhead. We believe the steel pipe is a well casing installed by WSDOT in 2002 after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake to better understand how groundwater flows through this area. The location of this pipe was included in reference materials in the contract.
We also believe at least some of the obstructions found by the exploratory holes are pieces of the 2002 steel pipe, which could be a contributing factor in the delay of boring.
Other potential factors include changing soil conditions that may have caused excessive wear of cutting tools, potential objects in front of the cutterhead or objects in the lower portion of the excavation chamber that still aren’t visible.

Next steps

STP is considering several options to remove the steel pipe and identify other potential obstructions.

While Bertha is stopped, other work is taking place. This includes:

Extensive construction on the north and south ends of the tunnel.
Preparatory work to dismantle the push frame and temporary tunnel rings in the launch pit.
Preparatory work to reconfigure the launch pitand build the roadway within the tunnel.

It’s too early to speculate about the cost or long-term schedule implications of this issue. We’ll continue to work with STP to determine ways to make up time lost during the blockage. Our focus is now on addressing this issue safely and in a timely manner so we can resume tunneling as soon as possible.

Business & Community Update – January 2014

Between what’s new and what’s already happening in the neighborhood, we know it’s going to be a great New Year.

La Bodega, a Dominican eatery, is now open in the Prefontaine Building. The food is as amazing as everyone said it would be and the atmosphere is ever-so inviting. While chef/owner Manu Alfau welcomes phone orders for a quick pick up, you’re going to want to linger.
Mike Easton announced that he’ll be opening Pizzeria Gabbiano, a Roman-style pizzeria, in the gorgeous Pacific Commercial Building later this year. The news has created quite the buzz in Seattle’s food scene. If you’ve experienced Il Corvo, you know why.
Diva Espresso opened its doors in Smith Tower last month. The coffee, pastries, and elegant space are delightful. The baristas make visits a great experience. Stop by and say “hi”.
The Smeraldo family, owners of Pioneer Square’s fine dining anchor Il Terrazzo Carmine, announced plans to open a cicchetti bar serving “small bites” later this spring. Intermezzo is going to be a fabulous addition to the neighborhood. Their sidewalk café will be a popular destination next summer!
Got your gear for the next big game? (Go Seahawks!) Game Day Sports opened in one of the new retail spaces in Stadium Place. If you go to the game, be sure to stop by the neighborhood concession stand or the beer hall at CenturyLink Field to enjoy the food of Pioneer Square restaurants – Salumi, Rain Shadow Meats, and McCoy’s Firehouse. Or check out any of the neighborhood bars or restaurants before or after the game.
The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is now Washington Bikes. In addition to the name change, they’ve added a retail storefront with the coolest selection of products and resources. It might even inspire you to pull out your bike before spring.
In other two-wheel news, Seattle E Bike will open the doors of their new space at 570 1^st Ave S. this month, maybe even as early as Friday! We love it when growing Pioneer Square businesses stay in Pioneer Square.
Matt and the gang at Tarboo have been designing and creating gorgeous clothing in Pioneer Square for a long time. They took the big step and moved to a new space on 2^nd Ave between James & Cherry that includes a retail showroom. Now everyone can explore and experience one of the neighborhood’s best kept secrets.
We’re all watching and eagerly awaiting the opening of The London Plane in the old bank space on Occidental Mall. We all know it will be worth the wait. (By the way, have you heard about their “Larder Share” program?)
HUB Seattle is expanding into the Pacific Commercial Building. They’re celebrating their new space, 220 & Change, on January 30 and the neighborhood is invited. Community Sourced Capital, funders of projects around the neighborhood and a company that started in the original HUB space, is opening their own office in the new building as part of the expansion.
And who is that person on the cover of Seattle Met Magazine? Why, it’s Jessie Poole of E Smith Mercantile!

As always, there is more news than can fit in this space. Stay tuned for more. Let’s keep business moving in Pioneer Square. Resolve to eat, shop, and explore more right here in the ‘hood. Here’s to 2014 and, please, stay in touch!

Karen True

Director of Business Development

Seawall construction starts week of November 18

From Waterfront Seattle:

Seawall Construction Materials (PDF)

After years of careful planning and coordination, we’re ready to begin seawall construction! Starting the week of November 18, you’ll see construction begin in earnest on the waterfront. The first step is to build a new roadway beneath the Alaskan Way Viaduct that will carry all north/south traffic during construction of the new seawall. To make way for this, angled parking spaces under the viaduct, as well as those spaces between Pike and Virginia streets will be removed and traffic will be shifted to the east. Read below for additional information. For questions about Seawall construction send us an email at seawall@waterfrontseattle.org or call our 24-hour hotline at 206.618.8584.

Seawall construction starts the week of November 18

Near term activities will include:

Mobilization of equipment and materials.
Placement of safety fencing at the perimeter of the work area.
Removal of angled parking adjacent to and under the Alaskan Way Viaduct between Madison and Pike streets initially, and later all the way to Virginia Street.
Posting “No Park” signs as early as November 14.
Removal of trees and signal poles on the west side of Alaskan Way (in the sidewalk area).
Construction of the temporary roadway beneath the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Ongoing utility and telecommunications relocation work.

What you can expect:

Construction hours will be Monday through Saturday, both day and night. The noisiest work will stop each day by 10 pm and resume at 8 am.
No work is expected on major holidays.
One lane in each direction maintained on Alaskan Way.
Access to east side businesses maintained on the access road immediately east of the viaduct.
The multi-use path on the west side of the viaduct will be open, with interim closures and detours in the vicinity of Pike Street.
Increased noise, dust, and vibration.
Increased truck and oversized vehicle traffic moving equipment and materials.
Contractors can park work vehicles within the construction work zone, but are not allowed to park in on-street, short-term parking.
Flaggers will be present at different locations within the work zone to manage construction traffic and public access though the construction area.

Construction snapshot activities over the next week

Seawall

On Friday, November 8 underground utility work will take place on the east side of Alaskan Way between Pike and Union streets. Here’s what to expect:

Working hours will be 8 am to 3 pm.
On-street parking restrictions will be in place for the duration of the work.
Northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane.
Two-way traffic will be maintained at all times.
Work will include pavement removal, jackhammering and excavation.

Waterfront Seattle

Union Street utility investigations started yesterday near Western Avenue and Post Alley. Pedestrian and local access will be maintained throughout the work. Working hours are weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm.

Starting Monday, November 4, crews will be performing geotechnical investigations under the viaduct between Pine and Lenora streets. The work is necessary to gather information about the soil as the design for the future Elliott Way connection over the BNSF railroad progresses. Work will occur weekdays between 7 am and 6 pm and last approximately two weeks. See the attached flyer for more information.

For questions about Seawall construction, send us an email at seawall@waterfrontseattle.org or call our 24-hour hotline at 206.618.8584.