List of tunnels in Seattle

Last updated

This is a list of tunnels built in the city of Seattle, Washington, USA.

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

Related Research Articles

State Route 99 (SR 99), also known as the Pacific Highway, is a state highway in the Seattle metropolitan area, part of the U.S. state of Washington. It runs 49 miles (79 km) from Fife in the south to Everett in the north, passing through the cities of Federal Way, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, and Lynnwood. The route primarily follows arterial streets, including Aurora Avenue, and has several freeway segments, including the tolled SR 99 Tunnel in Downtown Seattle. SR 99 was officially named the William P. Stewart Memorial Highway by the state legislature in 2016, after a campaign to replace an unofficial moniker honoring Confederate president Jefferson Davis.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct was an elevated freeway in Seattle, Washington, United States, that carried a section of State Route 99. The double-decked freeway ran north–south along the city's waterfront for 2.2 miles (3.5 km), east of Alaskan Way and Elliott Bay, and traveled between the West Seattle Freeway in SoDo and the Battery Street Tunnel in Belltown.

State Route 519 (SR 519) is a state highway in Seattle, Washington, United States. It connects Interstate 90 (I-90) to the Port of Seattle and Colman Dock, which serves as the terminus of two ferry routes. The highway travels along city streets, including two named for Seattle Mariners personalities: Edgar Martinez Drive and Dave Niehaus Way, as well as Alaskan Way. SR 519 was established in 1991 on preexisting streets that were first built in the early 20th century. State projects moved the southern terminus of SR 519 in 2010 to its current location and temporarily rerouted it during demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Waterfront Streetcar Former heritage streetcar line in Seattle, Washington

The Waterfront Streetcar, officially the George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line, was a heritage streetcar line run by King County Metro in Seattle, Washington, United States. It traveled for 1.6-mile (2.6 km) along Alaskan Way on the city's waterfront facing Elliott Bay, under the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The Waterfront Streetcar used a fleet of five W2 trams from Melbourne, Australia.

Transportation in Seattle Overview of transportation modes and routes in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Transportation in Seattle is largely focused on the automobile like many other cities in western North America; however, the city is just old enough for its layout to reflect the age when railways and trolleys predominated. These older modes of transportation were made for a relatively well-defined downtown area and strong neighborhoods at the end of several former streetcar lines, now mostly bus lines.

Line 1 (Sound Transit) Light rail line serving Seattle, Washington

Line 1, formerly Central Link, is a light rail line in Seattle, Washington, United States, and part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system. It serves 19 stations in the cities of Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila, traveling nearly 25 miles (40 km) between Northgate and Angle Lake stations. The line connects the University District, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Line 1 carried over 25 million total passengers in 2019, with an average of nearly 80,000 daily passengers on weekdays. It runs for 20 hours per day on weekdays and Saturdays, with headways of up to six minutes during peak hours, and reduced 18-hour service on Sundays and holidays.

Northgate Link tunnel Light rail extension and tunnel in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

The Northgate Link tunnel is a light rail tunnel in Seattle, Washington, United States. The twin-bore Link light rail tunnel, built as part of the Northgate Link extension, carries a section of Line 1 and connects the University District to Northgate.

Beacon Hill station (Sound Transit) Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

Beacon Hill station is a light rail station located in Seattle, Washington. It is situated between the Mount Baker and SODO stations on Line 1, which runs from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Downtown Seattle and the University of Washington as part of the Link light rail system. The station is located 160 feet (49 m) under the southeast corner of Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood.

SODO station (Sound Transit) Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

SODO station is a light rail station located in Seattle, Washington. It is situated between the Beacon Hill and Stadium stations on Line 1, which runs from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Downtown Seattle and the University of Washington as part of the Link light rail system. The station consists of two at-grade side platforms at the intersection of the SODO Busway and South Lander Street in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle.

Alaskan Way Street in Seattle, Washington

Alaskan Way, originally Railroad Avenue, is a street in Seattle, Washington, that runs along the Elliott Bay waterfront from just north of S. Holgate Street in the Industrial District—south of which it becomes East Marginal Way S.— to Broad Street in Belltown, north of which is Myrtle Edwards Park and the Olympic Sculpture Park. The right-of-way continues northwest through the park, just west of the BNSF Railway mainline, and the roadway picks up again for a few blocks at Smith Cove. It follows a route known in the late 19th century as the "Ram's Horn" because of its shape. The street gave its name to the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which until 2019 carried Washington State Route 99 through Downtown Seattle.

State Route 99 tunnel Highway tunnel in Seattle, Washington

The State Route 99 tunnel, also known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel, is a bored highway tunnel in the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. The 2-mile (3.2 km), double-decker tunnel carries a section of State Route 99 (SR 99) under Downtown Seattle from SoDo in the south to South Lake Union in the north.

University of Washington station Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

University of Washington station is a light rail station on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington, United States. The station is served by Line 1 of Sound Transit's Link light rail system, which connects Northgate, Downtown Seattle, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. University of Washington station is at the intersection of Montlake Boulevard Northeast and Northeast Pacific Street, adjacent to Husky Stadium and the University of Washington Medical Center.

Capitol Hill station Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

Capitol Hill station is a light rail station in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The station is served by Sound Transit's Link light rail system and is located near the intersection of Broadway and East John Street. It is situated between the Westlake and University of Washington stations on Line 1. The station consists of an island platform approximately 65 feet (20 m) under street level, connected to three surface entrances via two mezzanines. It contains pieces of public art, including Mike Ross's sculpture Jet Kiss and two murals by cartoonist Ellen Forney.

U District station Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

U District station is a light rail station on Line 1 of Sound Transit's Link light rail system in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located in the University District neighborhood, near the University of Washington campus. The underground station has two entrances along Brooklyn Avenue Northeast at 43rd and 45th streets.

Roosevelt station (Sound Transit) Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

Roosevelt station is a light rail station located in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is served by Line 1 of Sound Transit's Link light rail system, which continues north to Northgate station and south to Downtown Seattle and SeaTac. The underground station consists of a single island platform connected to the surface via a mezzanine and two entrances along 12th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 65th and 67th streets.

Brightwater sewage treatment plant Sewage treatment plant in Snohomish County, Washington

Brightwater is a regional sewage treatment plant in south Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It serves parts of the Seattle metropolitan area and was opened in 2011. The plant construction and associated tunneling were a five-year megaproject costing $1.8 billion.

University Link tunnel Rail tunnel in Seattle, Washington, United States

The University Link tunnel is a 3.15-mile (5.07 km) light rail tunnel in Seattle, Washington. The twin-bore tunnel carries Link light rail service on the University Link Extension of Central Link, running from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to University of Washington station via Capitol Hill station. The 21 ft-wide (6.4 m) tunnels are lined with precast gasketed concrete segments connected with steel bolts and was excavated using three tunnel-boring machines in 2011 and 2012. Light rail service began on March 19, 2016.

Bertha (tunnel boring machine) 17.5 metres diameter tunnel boring machine

Bertha was a 57.5-foot-diameter (17.5 m) tunnel boring machine built specifically for the Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel project in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was made by Hitachi Zosen Sakai Works in Osaka, Japan, and the machine's assembly was completed in Seattle in June 2013. Tunnel boring began on July 30, 2013, with the machine scheduled to complete the tunnel in December 2015.

SODO Busway Busway corridor in Seattle, Washington

The SODO Busway, also referred to as the E-3 Busway, is a 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) busway in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It has four stops, including two that connect to Link light rail stations, and functions as an extension of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, which was formerly used by buses. The busway is served by ten bus routes—seven King County Metro routes from southern King County and three Sound Transit Express routes from Pierce County.

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 Robert A. Robinson; Edward Cox; Martin Dirks, Tunneling in Seattle: A History of Innovation, North American Tunnelling Conference, Seattle, Wash., 2002, retrieved 2012-12-16
  2. ↑ Bridges and roadway structures, Seattle Department of Transportation, retrieved 2012-12-17
  3. ↑ Phil Dougherty (April 1, 2007), Final phase of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct opens to traffic on September 3, 1959, HistoryLink
  4. ↑ Jenny Hansson (September 27, 1995), "The freedom to have a tunnel map", UW Daily, retrieved 2012-12-16
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 2010 Brightwater Project Progress and Tunneling Status (PDF), King County Waste Treament Division
  6. ↑ Featured Project: Denny Way CSO Control Project, American Underground Construction Association, retrieved 2012-12-16
  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 2012-10-14. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  10. ↑ Jack Broom (September 8, 2009). "2 tunneling machines on Brightwater sewer project are damaged — and 300 feet deep". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  11. ↑ Scott Gutierez (August 17, 2011). "Brightwater tunneling completed this week". Seattle P-I. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  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 2012-12-17
  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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