A rep from Seattle Tunnel Partners met with The Seattle Times' Editorial Board today to discuss the situation surrounding tunnel boring machine Bertha and dropped a couple interesting facts into the mix. First, the costs to repair and restart Bertha will be in the $125M range, though the rep admitted the number will probably end up being higher. Second, STP thinks WSDOT should pay for it.
STP already filed a "request for entitlement" to be paid by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), on the premise that a steel well casing, left in the ground after WSDOT groundwater tests in 2002 and 2010, damaged Bertha just before the machine stalled in early December. WSDOT says it has rejected the request. State officials argued that STP was responsible for knowing about the pipe and avoiding trouble. Considering the two groups share an office, that must make for an awkward lunch hour.
· Tunnel contractors: Bertha stall may cost $125M [Seattle Times]
· All Seattle Tunnel coverage [Curbed Seattle]