Happy New Year! Despite another challenging year, we're looking back on everything that the Ship Canal Water Quality Project team accomplished in 2021 and we want to thank all of our neighbors for their patience as work continues into the new year and beyond! First, let’s recap the purpose of this project with a new overview video.
In 2021, we continued work on the underground storage tunnel in all five neighborhoods. Both our tunnel boring machines arrived in Seattle and began their respective tunneling journeys. Our 18-ft storage tunnel boring machine (TBM) arrived from Germany and was reassembled at the Ballard shaft site. We received over 1,200 name submissions from the community, over 34,000 votes, and ultimately named this TBM MudHoney, after the local Seattle band! You can follow MudHoney’s travels through our tunneling tracker. Our 8-ft conveyance tunnel TBM arrived in Fremont after being refurbished from a previous King County project and will be tunneling under the Ship Canal from Fremont to Queen Anne.
In 2021 we continued the design of the Ballard Pump Station. Check out our introductory video about the Ballard Pump Station and learn more about these future improvements through our Flickr album. Construction is expected to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2025.
In partnership with the Office of Arts & Culture, SPU has commissioned a suite of artworks, both temporary and permanent, that will help tell the story of the underground storage tunnel. We showcased a variety of local artists in 2021, with more to come in 2022!
2022 will be another exciting year for this project. MudHoney and the 8-ft conveyance TBM are both expected to reach their destination this year. We will also start work on another, much smaller construction project, in Wallingford to connect existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipes to the storage tunnel. Take a look at our Flickr albums to stay updated on the most recent construction, including images of our new tunnels.
Ballard & MudHoney
MudHoney, the 18-ft diameter storage TBM, is on target to reach Wallingford by the end of 2022! This year we will also build new pipes in the area to connect Ballard’s existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipes to the storage tunnel.
MudHoney reached a planned pause in October 2021 and will resume tunneling activities in early 2022.
When tunneling starts again, you should anticipate:
- Truck deliveries of concrete segments and MudHoney equipment
- Tunneling activities
- Nighttime segment deliveries and tunnel spoils getting hauled off
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site
Crews are working 24 hours a day, 6 days a week and will continue until MudHoney reaches Wallingford in late 2022. Sunday work may also occur.
Ground monitoring is ongoing along the tunnel alignment and is done from both inside MudHoney and on the surface.
East Ballard
Excavation will continue through most of 2022 at the East Ballard site for underground mechanical and electrical vaults on NW 45th St. We will also begin construction on diversion structures. East Ballard will also be the first maintenance stop for MudHoney later in 2022.
At this time, you should anticipate:
- Heavy equipment in the area
- 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 through 2022
- 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. Please use extra caution in wet weather as ramps may be slippery.
- 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.
Fremont
The 8-ft conveyance TBM is on target to reach Queen Anne by the end of 2022! Crews will also continue work on vault construction and diversion structures at the Fremont site.
Crews are performing jet grouting in Leary Way NW. This work includes lane reductions on Leary Way NW, between 1st Ave NW and NW 39th St, with an optional detour through February. Crews will also be drilling piles to support water main work on Leary Way NW. Work on the 8-ft conveyance tunnel will resume after jet grouting is complete. Also in 2022, crews will install the diversion structures and conveyance pipes in 2nd Ave NW.
During this time, you should anticipate:
- Lane reductions on Leary Way NW through approximately February 2022 (see map with optional detour). We will continue to look for opportunities to open up the lanes whenever possible.
- Excavators working on-site for utility installation work
- Truck traffic on Leary Way NW as trucks bring and remove materials to and from the site
- NW 36th St between Leary Way NW and 3rd Ave NW closed (through remainder of the project)
- Pedestrian detours on Leary Way NW, please follow all detour guidance on site
- Generator running during work hours to power equipment
- 2nd Ave NW, between Leary Way NW and NW Canal St, closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for sewer and diversion structure work at least through the end of 2022
- 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
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. Night and weekend work may occur.
Wallingford
Shaft construction will continue through 2022 to prepare for MudHoney’s arrival later in the year. Crews will also build new pipes so we will be ready to connect Wallingford’s existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipes to the storage tunnel later in 2022. At this point, crews are continuing to work on the shaft liner wall.
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
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm.
Queen Anne
Construction work for the shaft and for diversion structures will also continue through the year in preparation for the arrival of the 8-ft conveyance TBM later in the year.
For now, crews continue to install temporary shoring 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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