  The 8-ft conveyance TBM beginning to drill into the Fremont shaft wall.
We are so excited to announce that both of our tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have begun tunneling. MudHoney, our 18-ft storage tunnel TBM, began its 2.7-mile journey to construct a storage tunnel from Ballard to Wallingford. Our 8-ft conveyance tunnel TBM will take a little over three months to dig from Fremont to Queen Anne and connect Queen Anne’s wastewater basin to the larger storage tunnel being built by MudHoney.
Follow MudHoney’s journey on our website. If you want to take a break and get out some coloring pencils or markers, check out our coloring sheets!
To learn more about the project, visit our project website. Check out our Flickr albums with recent construction photos.
Public Art Update
In partnership with the Office of Arts & Culture, we have commissioned a suite of artworks, both temporary and permanent, that will help tell the story of the underground storage tunnel. The installation, Oceans of Emotion, created by Lisa Liedgren Alexandersson and Kait Rhoads is a reference and response to the pandemic and turbulent political times.
You are invited to come draw or write on a sequin (a small disk) what you would like to release from the past year and embrace for the future. This outdoor, in-person opportunity will take place at the construction fence at Interlake Ave N and N 35th St on Sunday, Aug. 15, from 10 am to 5 pm.
The community generated artworks will be on display at the site from mid-August 2021 until February 2022.
Learn more about the public art for this project on our website.
Ballard & MudHoney
MudHoney, the 18-ft storage tunnel TBM, began tunneling this week! The TBM will tunnel up to 50 feet per day and will take scheduled maintenance breaks, that could last several weeks at a time. During tunneling, you should anticipate:
- More heavy equipment, such as cranes, to arrive on site, potentially at night.
- Truck deliveries of paving material, concrete, and equipment for MudHoney and tunnel activities. Some of these deliveries may take place overnight.
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site.
Crews are working 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, and will continue until the tunnel reaches Wallingford in fall 2022. Weekend work will also occur.
Ground monitoring is ongoing along the tunnel alignment and done from both inside MudHoney and on the surface.
East Ballard
Crews are preparing the site for excavation of the diversion structure, and preparing to install a temporary water main bypass on NW 45th St. During this time, you should anticipate:
-
11th Ave NW reduced to single lane traffic until late November. The area just south of the intersection of 11th Ave NW and NW 45th St will be controlled by flaggers during the day and traffic lights at night (see map). This will allow crews to excavate and work in the roadway.
- The final connections for the water main bypass will require a short, temporary water outage. If your service will be impacted, you'll receive a door hanger with more information.
- Heavy equipment in the area to install dewatering wells and excavation support piles, followed by excavation and concrete work for the outfall interception and diversion structures in 11th Ave NW, and the mechanical and electrical vault in NW 45th St.
- NW 45th St closed to traffic; vehicles must detour onto NW 46th St.
- Burke-Gilman Trail users remain detoured to the north side of NW 45th St. Flaggers will help direct traffic during daytime working hours. Please follow all detour guidance on site. For safety, bicyclists should either dismount or cross train tracks at a 90-degree angle.
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site.
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. Night and weekend work may occur.
See anticipated traffic impacts through 2021 on our website.
Fremont
The 8-ft conveyance tunnel TBM began tunneling last week! Utility work in Leary Way NW and on site continues.
During this time, you should anticipate:
- Dump trucks and excavators working on site and an increase in truck traffic on Leary Way NW as trucks haul away excavated material and bring materials to the site.
- NW 36th St between Leary Way NW and 3rd Ave NW closed (through remainder of the project).
- Pedestrians detoured to the north side of Leary Way NW.
- Generator running during work hours to power the TBM and associated equipment.
- Generators running intermittently to power the dewatering pumps.
- 2nd Ave NW, between Leary Way NW and NW Canal St, closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for sewer and diversion structure work through the end of the year.
- NW Canal St is open to two-way traffic to allow access during this closure. Please do not park at the west end of NW Canal St to allow two-way traffic to turn around at the closure.
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site.
Crews have begun working intermittently in Leary Way NW on a new water main. This work will require some lane closures on Leary Way NW and a short, temporary water outage. If your water service will be impacted, you'll receive a door hanger with more information.
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. Night and weekend work may occur.
Wallingford
Crews will start constructing shaft liner wall in September.
During this work you should anticipate:
- Trucks coming in and out of the site to deliver reinforcing steel and concrete.
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site.
Normal work hours are Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm.
Queen Anne
Crews will begin installing temporary shoring later this month for construction of the diversion structures. During this time, you should anticipate:
- Trucks coming in and out of the site.
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site.
- The West Ewing Mini Park parking lot to remain closed through mid-2023.
- A localized Ship Canal Trail detour through summer 2022 (see map).
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. Night and weekend work may occur.
Contact us
Please email SPU_ShipCanalProject@seattle.gov with questions or comments or call our hotline at (206) 701-0233. You can also find information online at spushipcanal.participate.online/.To support the community during active tunneling, we have changed our hotline hours to 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday.
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