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The tunnel under Seattle will not open until January or early February.
The Washington Transportation Department was hoping for an opening in October of the SR 99 tunnel, but said Monday that he will not be ready until the beginning of 2019.
Before the opening of the tunnel, the state plans to close State Route 99 in Seattle for about three weeks starting January 11th.
See also | Move in the closing of the SR 99
The closure of ES 99 is the only way crews can complete the project, which will include a realignment of the national highway. At the closure of the viaduct, approximately 90,000 drivers who normally use it will be diverted. During past viaduct closures, congestion has increased on all major roads in the region.
WATCH: Special presentation on New tunnel under Seattle
The state says drivers should expect "region-wide congestion" for up to six weeks as crews complete final connections to and from the new tunnel. . There could be a "reversal period" of weeks or months, as people change their travel patterns.
See also | A brief history of the Seattle viaduct
"We need drivers to change their habits for three weeks to prevent traffic jams," said Brian Nielsen, Alaskan Viaduct Replacement Program Administrator. "We recognize that everyone's strategies will be different depending on their needs, but consider other ways to get to where you are going, if you can."
COMPLETE VIDEO: Officials Announce New Details on SR 99 Tunnel Opening
The tunnel will be free to use at its first opening. It will be billed later in 2019. The Washington State Transportation Commission is expected to set rates next month. These rates range from $ 1 to $ 2.25.
Was not it been overheating and failure of Bertha, the tunnel boring machine, at the end of 2013, the tunnel could have been opened in the autumn of 2016 or perhaps earlier.
WATCH: Aerial View of Seattle Tunnel Construction
After the dismantling of Bertha, the state estimated that the tunnel would open in early 2019. It was thought that the opening date could be postponed until October. However, the state said several factors played into the decision taken last week to open the tunnel in 2019. Several contractors still have to finish their work before the three-week shutdown of the RS 99. In addition, officials said they wanted to avoid a highway closure during the holidays while giving drivers time to plan in advance.
See also | Crews Test Seattle SR 99 Tunnel Ventilation System
State spokeswoman Laura Newborn said the WSDOT was in regular contact with the city and other agencies, adding that the contractor had made good progress by integrating testing of complex systems into the tunnels.
One of these tests resulted in the pressure drifting from the north tunnel building's fans to an elevator shaft. blow up the wall panels and damage them a lift door on August 31st. Newborn stated that this problem was mechanical in nature and that the contractor is making a correction with a minor modification of the design.
© 2018 KING
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