Sound Transit, the agency developing the Puget Sound region’s multi-modal mass transit system in Seattle, US, is inviting inspections of the construction site, on 16-27 May and 12-23 June, prior to the invitations of bids from potential contractors.
Sound Transit is building a test shaft at the site of the underground station. Two initial inspections prior to the invitation for bids are scheduled to take place while the shaft is under construction. Interested contractors should contact John Carpenter, lead contracts administrator for Sound Transit. Visit www.soundtransit.org for details.
Contractors will be able to view geological conditions at what will be one of the deepest tunnelling operations through glacial soils in North America when Sound Transit completes a 46m deep, 5.5m wide fully-instrumented test shaft, with two very short stub tunnels of 3m diameter and 4.6m long.
The test shaft facility will provide a close-up look at soil conditions at the location where Sound Transit will build twin 1.6km long tunnels through Seattle’s Beacon Hill, and a deep-mined light rail station approximately 53m underground. The tunnel will be part of the 22.5km long initial segment of Sound Transit’s Central Link light rail system. Construction should begin in April 2004.
