The project to build a new wastewater tunnel along the Ship Canal has hit a milestone in Ballard, having removed about 22,000 tons of contaminated soil from the Ballard worksite.
The tunnel project, known as the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, will build a 2.7-mile, 18-foot-wide tunnel between Wallingford and Ballard that will capture and temporarily hold more than 29 million gallons of stormwater mixed with some sewage during heavy rains. After storms, the flow will be sent to the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Magnolia.
At the Ballard worksite (5300 24th Ave NW), the removal of contaminated soil will help protect water quality in the canal as crews begin to construct a 100-foot-deep, 90-foot-wide shaft for the tunnel boring machine’s entry point. The site will eventually be the permanent home of the Ballard Pump Station, which will house the equipment needed to send wastewater to West Point.
The tunnel shaft digging is expected to start in 2020.
To keep tabs on the project, you can follow along on the project website.
Photo: SPU
Wow! I had no idea it was such a huge tunnel!
Seems like if they can do a 2.7-mile 18ft wide tunnel for some stormwater detention they could build some 1.5 mile 21ft wide lightrail tunnels across Salmon Bay…
Great point!
All of this from an area where an EIS is holding up the completion of the Burke Gilman Trail?
It’s your government that you selected, deal with it.
Except that it’s a handful of selfish corporations that are using a law not in the way it was intended, to hold Seattle residents hostage.
If I were to fault Seattle government for anything, it was attempting to negotiate with these lying sleazebags in the first place.
All great stuff, except this project sends wastewater to the very same place that keeps breaking down + sending millions of gallons of S into the Sound. Reminds me of Spy VS Spy in Mad magazine.
I thought the plan was to remove all the hazardous material using the BTR (Ballard Toy Railroad), that did not happen as it was all removed by truck. I believe the plan is to remove all the non hazardous material from the tunnel by barge.