Inslee and his State Government is such a clown show!!!


Inslee suspends Bertha tunneling after sinkhole

KING 5 News, KING5.com 12:08 p.m. PST January 14, 2016

SEATTLE – Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday he has ordered a halt of tunneling for the new State Route 99 after a sinkhole formed behind the boring machine, Bertha.

“Seriously disappointed,” Inslee told reporters.

Inslee said he is ordering tunnel contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners to stop drilling until safety can be guaranteed.

WSDOT says STP is being informed the stop order is a “suspension for cause” in contractual terms.

“I share the Governor’s concern for public safety and we want to ensure that the contractor has the right protocols in place to proceed with their work safely,” said Washington Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson in a statement. “We are asking that the contractor complete root cause analysis and take the appropriate steps to ensure that incidents, such as the sinkhole near the repair pit, do not occur again. STP will not be allowed to resume tunneling until their analysis and work plans meet the satisfaction of our experts.”

The hole developed Tuesday around 9 p.m. where dirt was being excavated just north of the access pit where Bertha was repaired.

Seattle Tunnel Partners’ Chris Dixon said the sinkhole was 35 feet long, 20 feet wide and 15 feet deep. It has been filled with 250 cubic yards of concrete.

The cause of the sinkhole is still under investigation. STP said there is no indication that any other locations have experienced ground loss.

Dixon said that this section of the project, before the machine goes under the Alaskan Way Viaduct, has always been considered a testing phase.

But the sinkhole is the latest problem the project has faced. Bertha started moving again Dec. 23 after being idle for two years for repairs.

A barge used to haul dirt from the construction partially tipped Tuesday, forcing STP to stop digging. Then, the sinkhole happened.

The order by Inslee comes at a critical juncture for Bertha. It is scheduled to bore under the viaduct in March, forcing the elevated structure to be shut down to traffic for two weeks.

The tunnel was initially supposed to open to traffic late last year. It's now scheduled to open in April 2018