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4/4/2012
On Monday, the second tunnel boring machine (TBM) mining Sound Transit’s new light-rail tunnels between Capitol Hill and the University of Washington (UW) finished its underground work as part of the University Link project.
Tunneling contractors Traylor Frontier-Kemper now will focus on building 15 cross passages between the two tunnels. Another contractor, JayDee Collucio Michaels joint venture, is scheduled to complete tunneling between Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle in June, Sound Transit officials said in a prepared statement.
When completed, the 3.1-mile University Link light-rail line will connect the UW and Capitol Hill to downtown Seattle. The overall $1.9 billion project is about halfway complete and scheduled to open in 2016.
Each TBM weighs more than 1 million pounds and stretches more than 500 feet, including the conveyor system. The machines were built in Germany for the project, and assembled and tested at the Port of Tacoma, Sound Transit officials said.