Seattle tunnel: Lessons learned from Boston’s Big Dig

Despite delays and cost overruns, transportation and infrastructure experts say Seattle has avoided the problems that plagued Boston’s Big Dig. The next challenge for WSDOT is avoiding the problems Boston faced after their tunnels opened.

[timmmahhhh]

I visited Boston in 1987 and 2015. The Big Dig has made a significant improvement without the above ground freeways cutting up the city from the waterfront. Similar to the removal of the Embarcadero in San Fran.

[BIOHAZARDXXXX]

The Big Dig totally reformed Boston. Boston used to be an ugly city with massive highways going through it, now all the highways are underground and it's actually an attractive city now.

[jons]

It's so cool to look back on this. I just took my friend from out of town to Pike Place from Capitol Hill. Several years ago, this would've taken roughly 30 minutes via the 10 or 11, and besides the market itself, the waterfront wasn't much to look at. We took the light rail and got there in less than 15 mins, and it was a super pleasant day so we actually walked along the waterfront. Much better than what it was. Glad that the city of Seattle committed to both projects and that we have them now to enjoy.

[Synmomusic]

That is a slick looking news package. Nice job King 5. The graphics on the viaduct supports were a nice touch.

[rosshoyt]

Yes the Big Dig seemed to go on forever for Boston, but now that it's finished the tunnels and infrastructure finally work well now.

[wrightgregson]

the Big Dig also evolved tremendously as it was being planned. At first, it was basically a tunnel putting elevated I-93 underground. Then the tunnel to the airport got incorporated into the plan. And then the connection to I-90 got put into the mix. Also, it must be remembered that all the above ground traffic continued as the whole double-decked tunnel was being constructed. All of this construction took place below sea level. In places, the lowest part of the lower tunnel was almost 100 feet underground. There was also the marine clays that were encountered: the lenses of clay were much more extensive than the initial borings indicate. The clays liquify when shaken by vibration. The clays had pipes driven through them and then refrigerated liquid was circulated through the pipes to freeze the clays so they would not liquefy from the construction vibrations. Where the tunnel went under the existing subway, there was only about 6 feet (if I remember correctly) separating the continuously running subway from the active excavation of the tunnel. And on and on and on. lt also must be remembered that the various unions got all kinds of sweetheart deals guaranteeing no strikes.

[chrisk]

One of the main issues with the Boston "Big Dig" was all the corruption and use of substandard materials during it's build.
Among other things, "leak city".

[SHSEVER]

Great video and I can tell you living in Boston all of my life this video is so true.I have never been to Seattle but by the look of things once they tear down the old section it will make the city so much better

[jamesbond]

Just come to Ottawa Canada 🇨🇦. We spent over 2 billion for trains that don’t work.

[boatlover]

I was a huge skeptic of the Boston project and all the bad along the way. Then moved their for work toward the end of construction in 2004. It was still a mess, but it totally transformed the city in the end. The ceiling collapse was indeed tragic. My office window overlooked a short uncovered portion just beyond where the accident happened, I saw daily media events from my office window. I'm sure the leaks are still and issue but travelling through the city above and below is so much better and the greenway above was a great place to walk and hang out.

[leftcoaster]

Vancouver needs a deep tunnel network, with not only highways, but room for trains/transit.

[SagaciousSilence]

Great video. Loved the use of the viaduct legs to display information.

[Rhaman]

Not possible to compare the complex structure in Boston with a billion/mile 1.9 mile tunnel in Seattle plus cost of the highway above.

[MustangsTrainsMowers]

The reporter passed the opportunity to take a dig at Boston’s corruption.

[FirstnameLastname-tpzw]

Man I've been at a factory for 8 years because I want to help my daughter grow up. When I buy a big truck it's going to be an entire different country!
So excited.

[lithostheory]

3:30 glue-ing concrete?? Is that normal? What is the point?

[ahunt]

Anyone else laugh after they compared Harvard to udub lol

[смиренный-хб]

WHY IS GLUE HOLDING A 500LB PANNEL. No one thought maybe one day that may create a lawsuit?

[gggreggg]

over all the Big Dig has proven to be a blessing in so many ways. As far as the construction itself, the story has not been told completely. Among other complicating factors was the desire to get the project done as quickly as possible and as cheaply as possible and that, as I understand it. lead toby shortcuts being taken. Such as using "single wall " construction instead of the usual "double wall" construction that lead to leakage problems. (the project is basically under water -- in a real way---because the harbor is very nearby.) And their was massive labor union corruption under the guise of keeping (buying off) the unions causing work stoppages. Because of the type of work I was doing at the time, not in construction, I got the chance to talk to the engineers and general contractors occasionally. One thing I was told by a contractor from the Midwest was that the amount of work done by his contractors and their workers was far more than the amount of work done by the union workers here in Boston over a given time period. I am not sure that the whole unbiased story will ever be fully told.

[NipkowDisk]

Doug MacDonald got a lot of things done internally at WSDOT (my employer), I have a fair amount of respect for him in that regard. I appreciated the fact that he was rough around the edges in a good way.