TBM MudHoney finishes two-year tunneling journey from Ballard to Wallingford
The Herrenknecht tunnel boring machined named for the Seattle, WA-area grunge rock band MudHoney completed its 4.3-km (2.7-mile) drive from Ballard to Wallingford as part of the Ship Canal Water Quality project.
The TBM began its work on the 5.4-m (18-ft) wide tunnel in August 2021.
My Ballard.com reported that MudHoney exited its tunnel in the Wallingford shaft at N 35th St and Interlake Ave N. Seattle Public Utilities said there are a few final tunnel segments for MudHoney to dig, and then crews will be dismantling and removing MudHoney from the Wallingford site over the next several weeks using a large crane.
The Wallingford shaft was filled with water when MudHoney emerged. SPU says the shaft had to be filled with water to prevent outside groundwater from rushing into the shaft when MudHoney broke through the wall.
In Ballard at the Shilshole construction site, crews will begin to empty the muck bins and start to dismantle, clean, and move off-site the tunneling equipment.
Crews continue work inside the adit and shaft on NW 45th St, and in the diversion structure on 11th Ave NW. In the coming weeks, crews will continue installing the conveyance pipe that will extend from the diversion structure to the storage tunnel.
