List of tunnels in Seattle

Last updated

This is a list of tunnels built in the city of Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington.

Contents

The Puget Sound region, where Seattle lies, has a history of glaciation that has left many hills and ridges that civil engineers have needed to traverse for transportation and utilities. [1] Some of these tunnels are part of megaprojects.

Tunnels

Year(s) ConstructedTunnelDiameterLengthNotesReferences
1894Lake Union Sewer Tunnel72 in (1.8 m)5,736 ft (1,748 m)Hand excavated [1]
1894South Bayview Street Tunnel4 ft (1.2 m) x 6 ft (1.8 m)4,526 ft (1,380 m)Hand excavated [1]
1903–1905 Great Northern Tunnel 38 ft (12 m)5,141 ft (1,567 m)Hand excavated [1]
1907Oregon and Washington Railroad Tunnel38 ft (12 m)900 ft (270 m)Hand excavated; never completed (filled in 1922) [1]
1910First Avenue Utilidor Tunnel8 ft (2.4 m)300 ft (91 m)Compressed air, hand [1]
19104th and Connecticut Ave. Sewer3–6 ft (0.91–1.83 m)7,060 ft (2,150 m)Supported trench [1]
1910Ravenna Sewer Tunnel80 in (2.0 m)
Relined 66 in (1.7 m)		2,875 ft (876 m)Hand; tried tunnel boring machine [1]
Early 1900sWallingford Tunnel9 ft (2.7 m)1,803 ft (550 m)Open cut and tunnel [1]
Early 1900sPacific Street Tunnel9 ft (2.7 m)11,325 ft (3,452 m)Open cut and tunnel [1]
1910Lander Street Sewer4.5–9 ft (1.4–2.7 m)5,290 ft (1,610 m)Supported trench [1]
1911Fort Lawton Tunnel10 ft (3.0 m)9,720 ft (2,960 m)Hand dug [1]
1911Montlake Siphon Tunnel4 ft (1.2 m)2,005 ft (611 m)Hand dug [1]
1912Dexter and 8th Avenue Tunnel5 ft (1.5 m)9,315 ft (2,839 m)Hand dug [1]
1912Washington Park Tunnels5 ft (1.5 m)4,052 ft (1,235 m)Hand dug [1]
1913Third Avenue West Siphon Tunnel21 ft (6.4 m)500 ft (150 m)Hand dug [1]
1926Jackson Street Drainage Tunnel 4 ft × 6 ft (1.2 m × 1.8 m)1,500 feet (460 m)Hand dug
35 psi compressed air		 [1]
1930South Hanford Street Tunnel9 ft (2.7 m)6,055 ft (1,846 m)Hand dug [1]
1931Charleston Street Tunnel3.5 ft (1.1 m)2,830 ft (860 m) [1]
1936Henderson Trunk Sewer Tunnel60 in (1.5 m) (I.D., concrete)
48 in (1.2 m) (brick)		3,000 ft (910 m)Hand dug
Concrete and brick		 [1]
1936Laurelhurst Trunk Sewer Tunnel9 ft (2.7 m)1,850 ft (560 m) [1]
1938–1941 Mount Baker Tunnel 28 ft × 23 ft (8.5 m × 7.0 m)1,330 ft (410 m) [1]
1934–1942WPA slide control drainage projects4 ft × 6 ft (1.2 m × 1.8 m)4,926 ft (1,501 m) [1]
1952–1954 Battery Street Tunnel 3,140 ft (960 m)Originally named Battery Street Subway [2] [3]
1963Montlake Siphon Tunnel replacements42 in × 108 in (1.1 m × 2.7 m)586 ft (179 m) [1]
1965–1966Elliott Bay Interceptor section 6 tunnel8 ft × 12.5 ft (2.4 m × 3.8 m)1,750 feet (530 m) Tunnelling shield [1]
1964–1967Lake City Sewer Tunnel8 ft × 11 ft (2.4 m × 3.4 m)17,570 feet (5,360 m)Close-face wheel excavator [1]
1967–1968Second Avenue Sewer Tunnel8.5 ft × 12.5 ft (2.6 m × 3.8 m)19,900 feet (6,100 m) Tunnelling shield [1]
1960s to present University of Washington utilidors Various, 5–10 ft (1.5–3.0 m)50,000 feet (15,000 m) total [1] [4]
1975 Northwest Kidney Center pedestrian tunnel10 ft (3.0 m) horseshoe120 ft (37 m) Bobcat loader [1]
1983–1986 Mount Baker Tunnel expansion65 ft (20 m)1,330 ft (410 m) Tunnelling shield
World's largest diameter soil tunnel		 [1]
1984 Seattle Public Utilities Beacon Hill Waterline/Cedar River Pipeline12 ft (3.7 m)150 ft (46 m) [1]
1985 Columbia Center pedestrian tunnel14 ft (4.3 m) horseshoe280 ft (85 m) [1]
1985 Virginia Mason Hospital pedestrian tunnel10 ft (3.0 m) horseshoe120 ft (37 m) Bobcat loader [1]
1986Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-4A12 ft (3.7 m) O.D.2,403 ft (732 m)Drill and shoot [1]
1986Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-4B12 ft (3.7 m) O.D.620 ft (190 m)Drill and shoot [1]
1986Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-512 ft (3.7 m) O.D.1,820 ft (550 m)Drill and shoot [1]
1986Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-612 ft (3.7 m) O.D.1,056 ft (322 m)First use of Earth Pressure Balance Machine in Seattle [1]
1987–1988 Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel Twin 21.25 ft (6.48 m)13,624 ft (4,153 m) Tunnelling shield
First use of waterproofing PVC membrane in USA		 [1]
1990Fort Lawton Tunnel/West Point Sewer15.5 ft (4.7 m) O.D.8,400 feet (2,600 m)Partial Earth Pressure Balance Machine [1] [5]
1993Royal Brougham Street Sewer Tunnel10 ft (3.0 m) O.D.300 ft (91 m) [1]
1993Lake Washington Canal Tunnel3.3 ft (1.0 m)1,518 ft (463 m)First slurry microtunnel in Seattle [1]
1995Lander Street Sewer Tunnel10 ft (3.0 m) O.D.130 ft (40 m) [1]
1995First Avenue Utilidor Tunnel10 ft (3.0 m)500 ft (150 m) Microtunnel [1]
1995–1997West Seattle Sewer Tunnel13 ft (4.0 m)10,500 feet (3,200 m)Partial Earth Pressure Balance Machine
Maximum 400 feet (120 m) below surface		 [1] [5]
1997Eastlake Storm Sewer Tunnel3.5 ft (1.1 m)475 ft (145 m)Slurry microtunnel [1]
2001 Justice Center Tunnel15 ft (4.6 m) horseshoe200 ft (61 m) [1]
2002Denny CSO Storage Tunnel16.8 ft (5.1 m) O.D.6,212 ft (1,893 m)First complete Earth Pressure Balance Machine tunnel in Seattle [1] [5] [6]
2002Henderson CSO Storage Tunnel16.8 ft (5.1 m) O.D.3,105 ft (946 m) Earth Pressure Balance Machine, connecting microtunnels [1] [5]
2006 Beacon Hill tunnel Twin 20 ft (6.1 m)1 mi (1.6 km) Tunnel boring machine [7]
2009–2012 University Link Tunnel Twin 20 ft (6.1 m)3 mi (4.8 km) Tunnel boring machine
$1.9 billion megaproject 		[8] [9]
2007–2011 Brightwater Sewage Tunnel 17.5 ft (5.3 m)13 mi (21 km)Four tunnel boring machines
Maximum depth 400 feet (120 m)
Part of $1.8 billion megaproject 		[5] [10] [11] [12]
2013–2018 Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel 57 feet (17 m)2 mi (3.2 km)$4.25 billion megaproject
World's largest tunnel boring machine, 57.5 feet (17.5 m) in diameter		 [13]
2014–2016 Northgate Link tunnel Twin 20 ft (6.1 m)3.4 mi (5.5 km) Tunnel boring machine
$2.1 billion megaproject 		[14]
2019–King County Ship Canal Water Quality Project21.67 ft (6.61 m) and 8 ft (2.4 m)2.7 mi (4.3 km)Largest tunnel boring machine named "Mudhoney" to construct combined sewer outflow storage tunnel under EPA consent decree. Two smaller machines for conveyance tunnels. [15] [16]

See also

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Robinson, Robert A.; Cox, Edward; Dirks, Martin (2002), Tunneling in Seattle: A History of Innovation, North American Tunnelling Conference, Seattle, Wash., archived from the original on April 6, 2010, retrieved December 16, 2012
  2. ↑ Bridges and roadway structures, Seattle Department of Transportation, retrieved December 17, 2012
  3. ↑ Phil Dougherty (April 1, 2007), "Final phase of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct opens to traffic on September 3, 1959", HistoryLink , Seattle: History Ink
  4. ↑ Jenny Hansson (September 27, 1995), "The freedom to have a tunnel map", UW Daily, retrieved December 16, 2012
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 2010 Brightwater Project Progress and Tunneling Status (PDF), King County Waste Treatment Division
  6. ↑ Featured Project: Denny Way CSO Control Project, American Underground Construction Association, retrieved December 16, 2012
  7. ↑ Mike Lindblom (April 21, 2006), Beacon Hill tunneling a breeze, The Seattle Times
  8. ↑ Scott Gutierrez (May 15, 2012), Light rail tunnels now link downtown to Capitol Hill, UW, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  9. ↑ "University Link Extension". Sound Transit. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  10. ↑ Jack Broom (September 8, 2009). "2 tunneling machines on Brightwater sewer project are damaged — and 300 feet deep". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  11. ↑ Scott Gutierez (August 17, 2011). "Brightwater tunneling completed this week". Seattle P-I. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  12. ↑ Jeff Switzer (September 25, 2007), "Machine moves 100 trucks of dirt a day", Everett Herald
  13. ↑ Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement program: Tunneling, Washington State Department of Transportation , retrieved December 17, 2012
  14. ↑ "Sound Transit contractor completes mining last tunnel segment for Northgate Link Extension" (Press release). Sound Transit. September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  15. ↑ Tim Newcomb (April 19, 2021), "Seattle's Latest Tunnel Boring Machine Will Dig 2.7 Miles", Engineering News-Record
  16. ↑ "Meet our tunnel boring machines". Ship Canal Water Quality Project. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
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