The Hitachi Zosen EPB machine that will excavate between downtown Seattle and Capitol Hill is in place and is scheduled to start boring in a few weeks.
Nicknamed, Brenda, the TBM is one of three being used to excavate tunnels for Sound Transit’s 3.15-mile (5km) University Link (U-Link) extension.
The JCM joint venture (Jay Dee/Cullucio/Michels) will use the 21ft diameter EPB machine to excavate 3,800ft of twin tunnels, starting with the northbound tunnel, and relaunching it for the southbound drive.
A joint venture of Traylor Bros./Frontier – Kemper is using two Herrenknecht TBMs to excavate 11,400ft (3,474.7m) of tunnels from the University of Washington to Capitol Hill. Those TBMs were dedicated at public ceremony last month.
