University Link Tunnel

University Link Tunnel
Overview
Tunnel near midpoint at Capitol Hill Link station
Location	Seattle, Washington
Status	Active
Start	University of Washington Station
End	Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
Operation
Owner	Sound Transit
Traffic	Link Light Rail
Technical
Construction	2009–2012
Length	3 mi (4.8 km)^[1]
Tunnel clearance	21 ft (6.4 m)
Width	21 ft (6.4 m)

The University Link Tunnel is an approximately 3-mile (4.8 km)^[1] transit tunnel in Seattle, Washington, USA. The tunnel will create the Link Light Rail University Link segment, running from University of Washington Station to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The system is actually two parallel tunnels, 21 ft (6.4 m) in diameter, the east and west tunnels being designated for northbound and southbound traffic, respectively. The tunnels are lined with precast gasketed concrete segments connected with steel bolts.

Construction

Construction of two parallel tunnels began in 2009.^[2] Three tunnel boring machines were used to construct the tunnels; two Herrenknecht machines were launched from the University of Washington Station toward Capitol Hill, and one Hitachi Zosen machine was launched twice to complete the tunnels from Capitol Hill Station to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.^[3] The 21-foot (6.4 m) diameter tunnel boring machines weigh more than half a million pounds each.^[2] Tunnel excavation was completed in May 2012.^[4] The $1.9 billion University Link megaproject is expected to be completed in 2016.^[2]^[1]

References

1 2 3 Meghan Erkkinen (2006-11-28). "Feds give light rail green light". The Daily. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
1 2 3 "University Link Extension". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
↑ Tunneling for University Link, Sound Transit
↑ Scott Gutierrez (May 15, 2012), Light rail tunnels now link downtown to Capitol Hill, UW, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

External links

Media related to University Link Tunnel at Wikimedia Commons

Bridges and tunnels in and around Seattle

Bridges

Road	Alaskan Way Viaduct Ballard Bridge Cowen Park Bridge East Channel Bridge Evergreen Point Floating Bridge First Avenue South Bridge Fremont Bridge George Washington Memorial Bridge (Aurora Bridge) Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge (Third Lake Washington Floating Bridge) Jose Rizal Bridge Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (I-90 Floating Bridge) Magnolia Bridge Montlake Bridge North Queen Anne Drive Bridge Schmitz Park Bridge Ship Canal Bridge South Park Bridge Spokane Street Bridge 20th Avenue NE Bridge University Bridge West Seattle Bridge

Rail	Salmon Bay Bridge Wilburton Trestle

Tunnels

Road	Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel (under construction) Aubrey Davis Park (Mercer Island Lid) Battery Street Tunnel Convention Center-Freeway Park Lid Mount Baker Tunnel

Rail	Beacon Hill Tunnel Great Northern Tunnel Northgate Link Extension Tunnel University Link Tunnel

Multi	Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel

Utility	Brightwater sewage tunnel

Lake Washington Ship Canal

Works	Ballard Locks Carl S. English, Jr., Botanical Gardens Fremont Cut Montlake Cut

Landforms	Lake Washington Portage Bay Lake Union Salmon Bay Shilshole Bay Puget Sound

Crossings	University Link Tunnel Montlake Bridge University Bridge I-5 Ship Canal Bridge Aurora Bridge Fremont Bridge Ballard Bridge Locks Salmon Bay Bridge

People	Eugene Semple James A. Moore Hiram M. Chittenden James. B. Cavanaugh Reginald H. Thomson Bebb and Gould Charles Bebb Carl F. Gould

United States Army Corps of Engineers

Coordinates: 47°37′11.48″N 122°19′13.02″W / 47.6198556°N 122.3202833°W / 47.6198556; -122.3202833

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, July 28, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.