>>9571660 LB
>>9571672 LB
Tunnels: Seattle’s boring past filled with thrills
Originally published December 10, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Up top, few people know about, much less appreciate, the work going on down here. To hear our local pols discuss construction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Tunnel, you’d think we’d never done this before. Somehow, what was lost in much of the public discussion getting to “yes” on that project was this: Tunnels R Us, Seattle. And they have been, for more than 100 years.
Now, and for about the next five years, Seattle will be in the middle of an unprecedented tunneling boom, from the behemoth viaduct-replacement project to three tunnels being dug to carry Sound Transit users to Capitol Hill and the University District. More than 250 workers are already on the job -
150 mining two tunnels from the University of Washington to Capitol Hill, 107 more working to bore a tunnel from Capitol Hill to downtown.
And many more are coming.
Robinson has mapped our history of tunneling, and counts more than 100 tunnels under the city, more than 40 miles’ worth in all, built since 1890.
https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/tunnels-seattles-boring-past-filled-with-thrills/