This is a list of tunnels built in the city of Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington.
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
edit| Year(s) Constructed | Tunnel | Diameter | Length | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | Lake Union Sewer Tunnel | 72 in (1.8 m) | 5,736 ft (1,748 m) | Hand excavated | [1] |
| 1894 | South Bayview Street Tunnel | 4 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] |
| 1907 | Oregon and Washington Railroad Tunnel | 38 ft (12 m) | 900 ft (270 m) | Hand excavated; never completed (filled in 1922) | [1] |
| 1910 | First Avenue Utilidor Tunnel | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 300 ft (91 m) | Compressed air, hand | [1] |
| 1910 | 4th and Connecticut Ave. Sewer | 3–6 ft (0.91–1.83 m) | 7,060 ft (2,150 m) | Supported trench | [1] |
| 1910 | Ravenna Sewer Tunnel | 80 in (2.0 m) Relined 66 in (1.7 m) |
2,875 ft (876 m) | Hand; tried tunnel boring machine | [1] |
| Early 1900s | Wallingford Tunnel | 9 ft (2.7 m) | 1,803 ft (550 m) | Open cut and tunnel | [1] |
| Early 1900s | Pacific Street Tunnel | 9 ft (2.7 m) | 11,325 ft (3,452 m) | Open cut and tunnel | [1] |
| 1910 | Lander Street Sewer | 4.5–9 ft (1.4–2.7 m) | 5,290 ft (1,610 m) | Supported trench | [1] |
| 1911 | Fort Lawton Tunnel | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 9,720 ft (2,960 m) | Hand dug | [1] |
| 1911 | Montlake Siphon Tunnel | 4 ft (1.2 m) | 2,005 ft (611 m) | Hand dug | [1] |
| 1912 | Dexter and 8th Avenue Tunnel | 5 ft (1.5 m) | 9,315 ft (2,839 m) | Hand dug | [1] |
| 1912 | Washington Park Tunnels | 5 ft (1.5 m) | 4,052 ft (1,235 m) | Hand dug | [1] |
| 1913 | Third Avenue West Siphon Tunnel | 21 ft (6.4 m) | 500 ft (150 m) | Hand dug | [1] |
| 1926 | Jackson 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] |
| 1930 | South Hanford Street Tunnel | 9 ft (2.7 m) | 6,055 ft (1,846 m) | Hand dug | [1] |
| 1931 | Charleston Street Tunnel | 3.5 ft (1.1 m) | 2,830 ft (860 m) | [1] | |
| 1936 | Henderson Trunk Sewer Tunnel | 60 in (1.5 m) (I.D., concrete) 48 in (1.2 m) (brick) |
3,000 ft (910 m) | Hand dug Concrete and brick |
[1] |
| 1936 | Laurelhurst Trunk Sewer Tunnel | 9 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] | |
| 1934–1942 | WPA slide control drainage projects | 4 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] | |
| 1963 | Montlake Siphon Tunnel replacements | 42 in × 108 in (1.1 m × 2.7 m) | 586 ft (179 m) | [1] | |
| 1965–1966 | Elliott Bay Interceptor section 6 tunnel | 8 ft × 12.5 ft (2.4 m × 3.8 m) | 1,750 feet (530 m) | Tunnelling shield | [1] |
| 1964–1967 | Lake City Sewer Tunnel | 8 ft × 11 ft (2.4 m × 3.4 m) | 17,570 feet (5,360 m) | Close-face wheel excavator | [1] |
| 1967–1968 | Second Avenue Sewer Tunnel | 8.5 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 tunnel | 10 ft (3.0 m) horseshoe | 120 ft (37 m) | Bobcat loader | [1] |
| 1983–1986 | Mount Baker Tunnel expansion | 65 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 Pipeline | 12 ft (3.7 m) | 150 ft (46 m) | [1] | |
| 1985 | Columbia Center pedestrian tunnel | 14 ft (4.3 m) horseshoe | 280 ft (85 m) | [1] | |
| 1985 | Virginia Mason Hospital pedestrian tunnel | 10 ft (3.0 m) horseshoe | 120 ft (37 m) | Bobcat loader | [1] |
| 1986 | Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-4A | 12 ft (3.7 m) O.D. | 2,403 ft (732 m) | Drill and shoot | [1] |
| 1986 | Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-4B | 12 ft (3.7 m) O.D. | 620 ft (190 m) | Drill and shoot | [1] |
| 1986 | Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-5 | 12 ft (3.7 m) O.D. | 1,820 ft (550 m) | Drill and shoot | [1] |
| 1986 | Renton Sewer Tunnel ETS-6 | 12 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] |
| 1990 | Fort Lawton Tunnel/West Point Sewer | 15.5 ft (4.7 m) O.D. | 8,400 feet (2,600 m) | Partial Earth Pressure Balance Machine | [1][5] |
| 1993 | Royal Brougham Street Sewer Tunnel | 10 ft (3.0 m) O.D. | 300 ft (91 m) | [1] | |
| 1993 | Lake Washington Canal Tunnel | 3.3 ft (1.0 m) | 1,518 ft (463 m) | First slurry microtunnel in Seattle | [1] |
| 1995 | Lander Street Sewer Tunnel | 10 ft (3.0 m) O.D. | 130 ft (40 m) | [1] | |
| 1995 | First Avenue Utilidor Tunnel | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 500 ft (150 m) | Microtunnel | [1] |
| 1995–1997 | West Seattle Sewer Tunnel | 13 ft (4.0 m) | 10,500 feet (3,200 m) | Partial Earth Pressure Balance Machine Maximum 400 feet (120 m) below surface |
[1][5] |
| 1997 | Eastlake Storm Sewer Tunnel | 3.5 ft (1.1 m) | 475 ft (145 m) | Slurry microtunnel | [1] |
| 2001 | Justice Center Tunnel | 15 ft (4.6 m) horseshoe | 200 ft (61 m) | [1] | |
| 2002 | Denny CSO Storage Tunnel | 16.8 ft (5.1 m) O.D. | 6,212 ft (1,893 m) | First complete Earth Pressure Balance Machine tunnel in Seattle | [1][5][6] |
| 2002 | Henderson CSO Storage Tunnel | 16.8 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 Project | 21.67 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
editFurther reading
edit- Lynda V. Mapes (December 10, 2011), "Tunnels: Seattle's boring past filled with thrills", Pacific Northwest magazine, The Seattle Times, retrieved December 16, 2012
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av 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
- ^ Bridges and roadway structures, Seattle Department of Transportation, retrieved December 17, 2012
- ^ Phil Dougherty (April 1, 2007), "Final phase of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct opens to traffic on September 3, 1959", HistoryLink, Seattle: History Ink
- ^ Jenny Hansson (September 27, 1995), "The freedom to have a tunnel map", UW Daily, retrieved December 16, 2012
- ^ a b c d e 2010 Brightwater Project Progress and Tunneling Status (PDF), King County Waste Treatment Division
- ^ Featured Project: Denny Way CSO Control Project, American Underground Construction Association, retrieved December 16, 2012
- ^ Mike Lindblom (April 21, 2006), Beacon Hill tunneling a breeze, The Seattle Times
- ^ Scott Gutierrez (May 15, 2012), Light rail tunnels now link downtown to Capitol Hill, UW, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
- ^ "University Link Extension". Sound Transit. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Scott Gutierez (August 17, 2011). "Brightwater tunneling completed this week". Seattle P-I. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ^ Jeff Switzer (September 25, 2007), "Machine moves 100 trucks of dirt a day", Everett Herald
- ^ Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement program: Tunneling, Washington State Department of Transportation, retrieved December 17, 2012
- ^ "Sound Transit contractor completes mining last tunnel segment for Northgate Link Extension" (Press release). Sound Transit. September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ Tim Newcomb (April 19, 2021), "Seattle's Latest Tunnel Boring Machine Will Dig 2.7 Miles", Engineering News-Record
- ^ "Meet our tunnel boring machines". Ship Canal Water Quality Project. Retrieved March 3, 2022.