As Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project heads toward a planned opening next year, Hitachi, the manufacturer of the 57.5-ft-dia tunnel-boring machine Bertha, has clarified its defense claims in the lawsuit and even shared its feelings about a snub it perceived at the breakthrough ceremony marking the progress of the work.
The $3.2-billion effort to replace the aging structure with a $1.35-billion, 1.7-mile-long bored tunnel under downtown Seattle is scheduled to open in early 2019. The project’s main bore is large enough for a double-decker roadway.