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.

[@thedevilsadvocate5210]

They replaced it with a parking lot

[@GH-oi2jf]

timmmahhhh - The Embarcadero was not removed. The Embarcadero Freeway was removed.

[@timmmahhhh]

@@clairekennedy8767 that is true. I live in the Chicago area where I have enough of my own headaches.

[@timmmahhhh]

@@GH-oi2jf you know what I mean, or at least you should.

[@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.

[@roeese1]

It still is an ugly city.

[@BIOHAZARDXXXX]

@@roeese1 Your mom is an ugly city

[@dha6232]

An attractive city: choked by traffic, riverbanks lined with highways, antiquated and dysfunctional public transit, and 2 train stations totally disconnected from eachother. The highways should have been torn down, period. And the North-South rail link should have been built underground. The result would have been a more prosperous, more affordable, healthier city and region.

[@ElmerCat]

Traffic in Boston is worse than ever! The difference is, instead of being stopped in traffic above ground where at least you could take in views of the city, now you're stuck underground in filthy tunnels. Meanwhile, rapid-transit projects which were planed to mitigate effects of the Big Dig were never built, while the existing transit system was allowed to fall into further disrepair. The only section of highway replaced by a tunnel was the elevated Central Artery which ran through downtown Boston. A third tunnel under Boston Harbor was added as a new extension of I-90, but the project merely widened and/or rebuilt other existing highways. The area where the elevated Central Artery used to run was supposed to be a fabulous "greenway", but it's really just a pedestrian-unfriendly boulevard in the middle of new local streets clogged with more and more traffic. Of course, something had to be done with the old Central Artery, but the BigDig project focused on expanding facilities for cars, to the detriment of other modes of transit. As has been proven time and time again: when you make roads bigger, you create more traffic. Because of how it was implemented, the BigDig made many things worse, not better.

[@BIOHAZARDXXXX]

@@ElmerCat Are you even from Boston??? There was an objective increase in available traffic capacity because of the Big Dig. If you think its bad now, it would be Armageddon if the central artery still existed. In the 90's we would sit still for hours at a time on the artery with traffic backed up for miles. Now at least we are moving. The Big Dig was easily the best thing to ever happen to Boston...

[@philipward7846]

The engineers had tunnel vision.

[@Synmomusic]

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

[@dandawson8128]

- the balloons were good, notice how they got larger too?

[@chrisk8187]

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".

[@jamesricker3997]

We can thank Paul Cellucci for that.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

Really well done video!

[@daltonstuff]

small world seeing you here. hope the home repairs are keeping your basment dry 😁

[@oaka5639]

Didn’t expect you on news channel. Heck, i don’t now what I’m doing here, I’m not evenAmerican

[@wrightgregson9761]

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.

[@rosshoyt2030]

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.

[@kwd3109]

Nonsense, at rush hour you are stuck in dirty tunnels with confusing one lane exit/entrance ramps that can't handle the traffic flow. Try going from Chelsea to the Mass Turnpike at 4:00 PM and you'll see what I mean.

[@rosshoyt2030]

@@kwd3109 Fair enough, you're certainly right about that, it gets congested AF. I think it used to be worse? Not positive tbh

[@BIOHAZARDXXXX]

@@kwd3109 Its an objective fact that the Big Dig added additional traffic capacity. If you think its bad now, the highways would be totally unusable if we stayed with the old system.

[@harrickvharrick3957]

@Johnny Ericsson what the * are you saying!

[@drumyogi9281]

@@kwd3109 Nothing like being stuck underground with a bunch of carbon dioxide lol

[@ahunt3858]

Anyone else laugh after they compared Harvard to udub lol

[@leobuckey]

Adam Hunt the tech comparisons were pretty lopsided too haha

[@GH-oi2jf]

Adam Hunt - There is not actually a comparison. I don’t get it. Where do you see something laughable?

[@jamesricker3997]

Harvard actually is not in Boston it is in Cambridge

[@SHS854EVER]

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

[@SagaciousSilence]

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

[@jamesbond9873]

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

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

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

[@jamesricker3997]

Boston is a lot less corrupt in most major cities. Even when Whitey Bulger was running around

[@leftcoaster67]

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

[@boatlover1875]

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.

[@lithostheory]

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

[@garrettlavigne4753]

onorebakasama I drove through that tunnel over 100 times in my tractor trailer wondering if anything was going to come down crashing on me. My girlfriend at the time, now my wife was stuck in the traffic on the day that panel Fell on that lady‘s car. As painful as the traffic was the Boston marathon bombing was some of our worst times in our life..

[@GH-oi2jf]

onorebakasama - That’s not what the NTSB report states.

[@GH-oi2jf]

Lithostheory - The anchors were glued in place with epoxy, but the wrong kind was used and it creeped under long-term stress.

[@FirstnameLastname-tp4zw]

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.

[@jdeluca6181]

Uhhh. You mean a super bowl to never forget.

[@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.

[@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.

[@amcname494]

About the single wall , they wanted to use the two wall system (the outer wall is nonstructural, it just keeps the water out) but they had no room for it. As it is, the tunnel abuts the foundations of all those downtown buildings, And the cost, yea it was expensive but it was a huge project. It actually was two tunnels, the new express way tunnel and a new tunnel running under the bay to Logan airport AND a really beautiful bridge over the Charles river. And it really did transform the city. I remember walking to work the first day the tunnel opened and the elevated highway was closed. Silence. It changed everything.

[@dreadshells5611]

GLUE!!??

[@shadowfox6438]

Yes, glue.

[@AZ-kr6ff]

@@shadowfox6438 No, not glue. Epoxy.

[@GH-oi2jf]

DreadShells - The epoxy was to hold the anchors in place, not the concrete directly.

[@AZ-kr6ff]

@@GH-oi2jf Exactly. I installed a few of them personally.

[@nulaponlove5621]

4:17 'We all know that. We know that when get on the airplane'. Both of them are different but its fair I guess.

[@Rhaman68]

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.

[@MrSupernova111]

Gorgeous!!

[@user-yg2up4lg3r]

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

[@russaman1000]

David Alexandrovitch after the glue failed they resorted to duck tape and it seems to be holding well.

[@sjd0356]

Very nice comparison

[@keiththoma2559]

The cost is more then the highway. This report left out the fact that the Big Dig had an environmental lawsuit filed against it. As part of the settlement the State agreed to massive transit expansion projects that cost billions. Unfortunately the transit part has been badly managed but this is often thrown in with Big Dig debt.

[@kailenholzhauer8239]

The boring strategy is safer than the cut and cover

[@kayzeaza]

I don’t know why people nowadays think big infrastructure can be built fast and cheap

[@noelio67]

So is the tunnel in Seattle, from the airport under downtown, bypassing the city going North?.......from Ireland

[@TheCloakedTiger]

I’m just glad that the double decker is going away!

[@sabik6979]

I will miss the view while driving on the viaduct but won't miss the noise from it. I will be driving through the tunnel the day it opens. I really hope it was worth building it.

[@russaman1000]

Deresolution 11 lol it’s great traffic with no view now.

[@leehilton9932]

What if a good size earthquake hits Seattle? How will the tunnel do if the ground is liquefied around it?

[@jamesmaynard9128]

Money

[@captzoom1778]

What are they going to miss the view of the highway

[@NeekSquad]

Adding more lanes or tunnels or anything like that does not solve the traffic problem it makes it worse

[@jonstefanik9400]

Example: Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Memorial Bridge.

[@philrabe910]

You didn't mention that all those distressed apartments that only poor people rent will now become spectacularly expensive [after the demolition, of course] Look at homes along Octavia St. In San Francisco where the US 101 elevated structure used to be.

[@rosalieholland25]

''that only poor people rent'' wow, I don't believe you're of the *Rich* class in Seattle xD

[@Am-Not-Jarvis]

"Don't make improvements because that will raise the value and make it harder to live there; keep it shitty" is the hottest and worst take in the urban planning profession in this decade.

This is very cool

[@sl06bhytmar]

Good for them

[@mikeadams2351]

what everybody learned from Boston's Big Dig.."it ain't as easy as it may look"...

[@jdhjimbo]

It is government! Why should anyone be surprised? There are no experts in govt, and they are spending OPM, so incompetence and inefficiency are built into the cake.

[@titanium5]

Great! It will be underground and still horribly congested.

[@kerrybigkans]

LETS GO PATS, BOSTON BIG DIG>

[@chrisk8187]

Fortunately, there wasn't any corruption or poor quality materials etc in the Boston Big Dig.

[@BeCoShooter]

Let's not make the same mistake that Boston did. Instead of eight lanes, let's make it four. And oh yeah, let's charge people for using it.

[@1956paterson]

There is a limit to how effective a tunnel for vehicle traffic will be because the problem is vehicle traffic volume which will not be reduced with the tunnel. Space is freed up for pedestrians yet this will not end traffic congestion on city streets. What is needed is reliable and attractive rail mass transit and stations within the city as well as long distance high speed rail to the city’s central station. The alternative to the motor vehicles must be in place for commuters to have a real choice. Federal and State tax subsidies have favoured motor vehicle traffic for decades so that any competition or alternatives now must be constructed from the ground up. Mass transit subway trains, and long distance high speed rail moves more people using less space and energy than individual motor cars. This is fact proven in densely populated urban areas around the globe.

[@danielmorris4676]

Appears to be a Seattle Chamber of Commerce promo that glossed over the severe problems and costs of the project. And with global warming sea level rise beginning to rear its hellish head, there is going to be a short life, measured in just a few decades, for drivers of combustion engine autos to take advantage of the new tunnel. We're on the road to nowhere. Paint it black.

[@interstellarphred]

When there was deliberations what to name it, I suggested a famous digger; Dr. Louis Leakey.

[@Jacobcrane777]

I have never not once been in traffic on the viaduct that has made me wish I taken another way.

[@brendonhalverson5178]

The main issue was it was structurally unsound.

[@-Katastrophe]

Nothing, apparently because you went over budget, too! I also notice a distinct lack of on and offramps along the tunnel's length and lots of waste with labeling the direction out seemingly every 5 feet.

[@dab0331]

Union thugs sure got their share

[@jamesricker3997]

Actually it was a contractors who made billions after donating a few million to the Governor's election campaign.

[@auntiem873]

So they are compensating for the dirt and new buildings to be built on top of the tunnel right? After all developers have been after that are for decades. Once it’s torn down the developers will want the area and some official will sell it to them. The. They will use the tunnel supports to support their buildings on those mud flats and fill areas. Or did. I one think of that? The only way to prevent this is to make sure that area stays a park. That will ensure the views and open the city up. If not it will look like the city was forced to stop growing because it ran out of room instead of the choice to leave it open for future generations to enjoy that view and area. It would be nice to have that area open for the fireworks in July.

[@bftjoe]

Yeah the world revolves around you.

[@auntiem873]

Joseph Huang - what’s that mean? I just said that the area would be open as a park for all. Allowing developers to have the area will close the area. That area will look like Ballard a small canyon. What was a nice area cause of all the views was taken away by apartment, micro apartments. That area will become condos so what would have been an area for all becomes an area of a few and close the city, make it look dark, pike place will look dingy, tourists will stop coming, there will be no view of the sound from there. How do I know, go look at plans or proposals made back in the 80’s. So I’m not thinking about myself, I’m thinking about all, the city and the businesses.

[@bftjoe]

@@auntiem873 All easy things to say if you already have a place. My point is you are not considering other people's needs at all.

[@auntiem873]

Joseph Huang - there are lots of places there you just want to have the prestige of that downtown address. Try looking towards Bremerton, you are so focused on that land you can’t see the harm putting up condos or apartments will do. Hell it may even be a mute point as I am reminded the area is owned by the railroad anyway. Which is why they built the via duct, they went over the property instead of on the land. Like here they are going under cause the railroad isn’t selling the land. As for not thinking about others, I’m thinking of thousands of residents, you are thinking about a couple of hundred and only those who could afford the price tag. You want to be one of them, that is pretty selfish of you, not me.

[@bftjoe]

@@auntiem873 Let's turn where YOU live into a park instead. Think of all the people who could visit???? See the flaws in your logic?

[@toddandersen5742]

Certainly doesn't get as cold in Seattle so they don't have to worry about that or the snow.

[@lifeisamatrix5960]

Glue? Got to be ******* kidding me you bolt panels or weld and also bolt them.

[@alexthelegoguy4504]

They “glued” concrete panels? Yea.. no shit it’s gonna collapse...

[@jetg2059]

What's that reporter's name I remember her working in Boston I think ch7

[@dha6232]

The big dig was a massive highway expansion, part of a huge road building project that transformed Boston into a sprawling, auto-dominated region. The highways that feed into the underground tunnels cut through neighborhoods, line riverfronts, cause endless air and noise pollution, choke neighborhoods with congestion, and take up tremendous urban land. The Seattle project is of much smaller scope, thankfully. But still, we should ask: what would our city be like today if we invested in world-class public transportation instead of 8 lane highways? What if we chose subways over freeways, parks, apartments and plazas over free parking and drive-throughs? The answer is a more prosperous, more affordable, more vibrant city and region. Boston faces huge challenges now in reducing carbon emissions, modernising a neglected and antiquated transit system, connecting jobs and housing, and growing to meet demand. The North-South Rail Link and a modern regional rail system, comparable to European cities like Paris or Berlin, is far from reach. Seattle is on a much better trajectory, thanks to ST2+3 and progress towards more sustainable city and region building.

[@TheLocalLt]

David Andrew American cities don’t have even close to the density needed to support rail as a primary mode of transit. The best you’re gonna get is transit within a metro area with park and ride at the outer stations, sometimes with a commuter rail going even further out or simply extending transit branches further into the suburbs with additional park and ride stops. You are living in a fantasy land. Only a handful of American cities actually have what I described above, let’s get them all to there before we start taking great leaps

[@Musicradio77Network]

New York City needs a new Big Dig to replace the existing BQE which would be a clever idea.

[@Musicradio77Network]

New York City needs a new Big Dig to replace the existing BQE which would be a clever idea.

[@TheCriminalViolin]

Building tunnels in the Pacific Northwest makes no sense unless it's in the mountains. Even then, there is not much logic to it. We're waterlogged. Springs everywhere. Filled in swamps and marshlands. In a highly volatile tectonic and volcanic region.Thick layers of river silts, and volcanic silts all over under the whole region. When the inevitable (and late) Tricentennial quakes rolls around (probably literally) you will sorely regret having tunnels.

[@russaman1000]

TheCriminalViolin hey at least we can have nice waterfront 😂

[@Bk6346]

The Big Dig. As in digging into the taxpayers pockets.

[@davidimhoff2118]

I remember her

[@ElmerCat]

Traffic in Boston is worse than ever! The difference is, instead of being stopped in traffic above ground where at least you could take in views of the city, now you're stuck underground in filthy tunnels. Meanwhile, rapid-transit projects which were planed to mitigate effects of the Big Dig were never built, while the existing transit system was allowed to fall into further disrepair. The only section of highway replaced by a tunnel was the elevated Central Artery which ran through downtown Boston. A third tunnel under Boston Harbor was added as a new extension of I-90, but the project merely widened and/or rebuilt other existing highways. The area where the elevated Central Artery used to run was supposed to be a fabulous "greenway", but it's really just a pedestrian-unfriendly boulevard in the middle of new local streets clogged with more and more traffic. Of course, something had to be done with the old Central Artery, but the BigDig project focused on expanding facilities for cars, to the detriment of other modes of transit. As has been proven time and time again: when you make roads bigger, you create more traffic. Because of how it was implemented, the BigDig made many things worse, not better.

[@AdaDenali]

Good thing seattle is actually in the process of expanding the light rail

[@Davanthall]

The greenway is beautiful and you’re a crabby old yutz. Boston has bad traffic, that’s been true for decades upon decades and it always will be.

[@ElmerCat]

@@Davanthall - Adorable!

[@kayzeaza]

Your just someone who feels like writing several paragraphs in a KZbin comment will make people like you better

[@ElmerCat]

@@kayzeaza That's an odd thing to imagine - No, I just put forth my own opinion of the project, from my own perspective of how I've seen it change Boston and surrounding communities over the past twenty years. Of course, as always is the case: YMMV.

[@laopang91362]

Hire international firm to reduce cost, speed up construction.

[@user-if4df7lk1z]

The The Big Dig Tunnel is nice. It does halp witg traffic. I went through it and you get through downtown really fast.

[@leeshaoloung7302]

What is the name of the Seattle tunnel? Boston has the Tip O'Neill Tunnel, so Seattle should have a name for her tunnel. Since Bertha built it, the tunnel should bear her name.

[@DJTECHWHIZ]

Also the Ted Williams tunnel came out of the Big Dig.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

Cut and Cover? We used that in London in the 1860s, we have NEVER used it since... good luck TBM in Seattle

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

It said Seattle chose tunnel boring.

[@dannydevito9514]

Why dont they just build a super highway in their fault line. It will only get wider. :p

[@scottn7cy]

This fluffy piece totally misses the real problems with the project which all centered around Boston politicians. The project became known as the Big Swig as everyone who could lined up to take some money from this project. Graft and corruption have long been a regular part of Boston politics so when federal money became available it was a feeding frenzy. I guess we can add journalists who are either weak or on the take to being part of the problem. SO what lessons did you learn Seattle? Good luck!

[@alibumaye5155]

"it's no big dig" what a freak 😂

[@jamesricker3997]

Lesson#1 don't let the governor fire 3/4 of the inspectors after he takes a few million in campaign donations from the contractors building the project

[@LVang152]

All highway need to be tunnel in downtown.

[@CelineNoyce]

Isn't seattle due for a major earthquake?

[@chaoswarriorbr]

So they budgeted a tunnel boaring project at less then 20% more then the original budget of a cut and cover project from several years back, that actually cost almost 6 times that. Not sure if very confident on the planning and corruption control or just full of bs!

[@plee9]

This is why government tax spending does not work. 10 years delay? 13 billion budget increase? Governments are seldomly accountable for the tax dollars they spend because citizens have no other choice.

[@inamacalin1]

Ok can somebody explain to me how do you overrun the budget and time? Like when the city is giving contracts, Do they say hey we want someone to build that certain miles and at that certain cost? And thats it. No cost overrun or delays or it comes from your pocket. Or do they give the contracts yearly? in which there might be market inflation. Cause this money comes from our pocket the taxpayers and we bleed our ass off to get it. 3.5 b planned but 15.b spent. Thats fuckedup

[@jamesricker3997]

It's simple just have the governor fire 3/4 of the inspectors as a cost-cutting measure and let the companies use their own people. The fact that the construction companies donated a few million to the governor's election campaign had nothing to do with it

[@CalebGrahnert]

They should bury I5 through seattle

[@maroon9273]

Cover the highway

[@antipyrene]

The problem w/ the Big Dig is a series of Republican governors allowed the main contractor to also serve as oversight of the project, thus massive corruption and cutting corners in terms of materials

[@defaultmesh]

_he he_ *Big Dig*

[@tommywang8752]

It's all about the dirty money, we want the view.

[@dobermanpac1064]

Boston tunnel leaks!!!

[@northwesttravels7234]

Really don't wanna be anywhere near the place.

[@jggjjghjtjuyffhurfh8869]

The traffic in Boston is worse than ever. Now it's all underground and you can't see it.

[@Musicradio77Network]

Even NYC is even worse than Boston. The first 3-miles of the BQE is unsafe. Time to make a tunnel out of Boston’s Big Dig and call it Big Dig 2 replacing the existing BQE.

[@maroon9273]

​@@Musicradio77Networkalso, the cbe, tri state area need to create a transit rail line on that corridor and a freight train connection from NJ to, staten Island, Washington heights Manhattan, Brooklyn, and queens.

[@adamfrbs9259]

Ha just more shady greedy contractors out east. Simple as that.

[@robertharvey9047]

new Jersey

[@robertharvey9047]

jesus

[@robertharvey9047]

jesus

[@robertharvey9047]

notre dame

[@EB-yp1wu]

Lol The Big Dig costs more than a border wall.

[@MrRicmeme]

Ethan Blake Probably a sign that the border wall's cost isn’t realistic

[@CHL41993]

@@MrRicmeme Erecting some wall is way cheaper than digging though city. There is no safety issues around the border, no catastrophic failures can happen. Dingging though city? One mistake, whole block collapses.

[@davidbeppler3032]

The estimate of the border wall was $5 trillion. With $100 million recurring costs in repairs and maintenance.

[@EB-yp1wu]

@@davidbeppler3032 I know, man. I'm being sarcastic

[@davidbeppler3032]

@@EB-yp1wu so many are not.

[@Raymanujan]

BBD

[@crazyeyesc.s1143]

Isnt Boston mostly sand Underground ?.. Washington most rock .

[@GB-ez6ge]

You're confusing Boston with Provincetown

[@CJaguar265]

I miss the old central artery

[@markofexcellence5209]

This is why the government should be shrunk as much as possible.

[@jackmeyers9291]

Boston is total union and that is the reason for cost over run and the extreme delays

[@davidbeppler3032]

Too bad they didn't hire the Boring company to build it. They can do it for 97% less money.

[@carholic-sz3qv]

Stfu!! It would have been way cheaper if they built two tunnels instead of a gigantic custom one. The TBM was only custom made for this project which is the biggest TBM ever made. The "boring company" is not made for this types of projects, grow up.

[@davidbeppler3032]

@@carholic-sz3qv What type of projects is that? Moving people or houses underground? If it is people, yes Boring company can do it better. If it is houses, you are right. Go Big or Go Home! lmao

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@davidbeppler3032 what are you smocking?! Seriously those big tunnels are made for all types of trafics from trains to big heavy duty trucks.... the boring company tunnel is just a lame sewage pipe underground. Look at the gothard tunnel, the manche tunnel......

[@davidbeppler3032]

@@carholic-sz3qv Look at how long and how much it cost to build the gothard tunnel, the manche tunnel.....

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@davidbeppler3032 what are you trying to justify LOL..... those are bigger dedicated tunnels for very fast transit to interconnect Europe for ever, it has significantly reduced the use or energy and time to cross those mountains and see...

[@darryl8806]

Deteriated Nuts Are Bad

[@ez123ification]

Filthy mess

[@ralphbailey8234]

Yeah the view is something thousands will miss.... Including me.... The noise well...let's just out law cars ! Let's just ride bicycles.....Oh most important outlaw TRUCK'S....... NOT !!!!!¡!!!!! I haul fuel ya know what keeps the cars trucks boats going around and around... The tunnel is taking this away from doing my job efficiently.....now get to use the suicide left off and on ramps to freeway and clog up the city streets more as allowing enough room to complete turn's in a tighter area and not being able to clear the intersections as the cars filled up the area for me to complete the turns...yup love the tunnel.....as far as quiet on the water front most likely I will be down there in my truck.... making noise......

[@russaman1000]

ralph bailey 😂 yup just drive down alaskan way on first gear. the tunnel is awesome i’m still stuck in traffic but got nothing but walls to look at. sometimes i find myself constantly reading the signs say how far the next escape route is like i’ve never seen them before

[@goldenspartacus1937]

Money that could be used toward ‘The Wall’.

[@rylandspencer]

Can someone explain to me how her working in Boston for six years gives her any credibility? She isn't old enough to have been there during the Big Dig.

[@carlhicksjr8401]

'Lessons'? REALLY? Bertha the tunnel machine was damaged for over a year and the tunnel finished almost two years late and 300 million dollars over budget. And *nobody's* head has rolled over that one. Sound Transit's light rail boondoggle continues. And WSDOT has yet to complete a major project in its Vision 2000 plan on time and on budget. So what did anybody learn? How to rip off the public in better and more creative ways?

[@RCinginSC]

She's pretty hot.

[@Zeakthecat]

this is why, and as i say it again, the free market would've got that tunnel done on time and within budget. that tunnel would've never cost either city a dime more than both did, but of course nobody is willing to say this because we like having "free" public roads. the roads ain't free you bakas, that money has to come from somewhere and it sure as hell ain't the national highway fund, which dried up during the bush administration! toll the roads, we have electronic tolling now, and lease *ALL* roads to private companies to manage and maintain. all the state has to do, is basically just observe.

[@cheistopherback5002]

Sorry billions of dollars for small amount of road waste of money on both I've drove threw both city's

[@Jubeidono2012]

Boston + Seattle= $18 Billion + But the wall for the border is too expensive?

[@apalmer12]

Also for Infrastructure that is NEEDED not a wall that MIGHT deter illegal immigration. $18 Billion for the wall is also just an estimate and not the final price of what could be built. The wall could ultimately end up being double or triple $18 Billion.

[@lewizzrocks]

Jubeidono2012 lol final wall will be about 30-50 billion.

[@Jubeidono2012]

More than worth it to protect American Lives.

[@Jubeidono2012]

White terrorist like Antifa and the Democrats? Antifa to prisons and vote out the Dems who wants Seattle to be like SF.

[@lewizzrocks]

Jubeidono2012 lmfaoo really ? Conservative Rebubs have been the terrorist since the inception of this country...