THE
THE ROAD
THE ROAD WILL HELP CONNECT DOWNTOWN TO THE SOUTH END OF
THE TUNNEL.
THE TUNNEL. >>> COMPLAINING ABOUT THE
TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION BECAME A
PASTIME, THIS PROMPTED
COMPARISONS TO THE BIG DIG.
IN BOSTON, THAT WAS LONG AND
DELAYED AND UNDER BUDGET.
WAS IT AS BAD?
WHEN OUR TUNNEL OPENS CAN THEY
AVOID THE PROBLEMS THAT PLAGUED
BOSTON'S TUNNEL SYSTEM?
>> Reporter: THESE ARE HOME TO
HIGHER LEARNING, CONNECTED BY
INTERSTATE 90 AND A SUPER BOWL
THAT WE WILL TRY TO FORGET.
LONG BEFORE BERTHA WAS HERE
BOSTON'S TROUBLED TUNNEL
PROJECT REPRESENTED EVERYTHING
THAT COULD GO WRONG.
>> BOSTON'S BIG DIG A $40
MILLION FIASCO, ARE WE MAKING
THIS A MISTAKE?
>> Reporter: BEFORE WE GET
FURTHER, A QUICK HISTORY LESSON,
THE BIG DIG BEGAN AS A PROJECT
TO REPLACE THE CENTRAL ARTERY
WHICH WAS AN ELEVATED SIX LANE
HIGHWAY THAT WAS STRUCTURALLY
UNSOUND AND HORRIBLY CONGESTED.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
SOUND FAMILIAR? THE STATE DECIDED THEY WANTED
TO REPLACE IT WITH AN EIGHT
LANE UNDERGROUND EXPRESSWAY.
THE COST AND THE CONSTRUCTION
SCHEDULED QUICKLY BALLOONED OUT
OF CONTROL.
OF CONTROL. THAT IS WHY NO ONE PLANNING
SEATTLE'S TUNNEL PROJECT DIDN'T
WANT TO COMPARE IT TO THE BIG
DIG.
DIG.
DIG. >>
DIG. >> MY TEAM FROM TRANSPORTATION
WILL GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT
WHAT WENT WRONG THERE.
AND ANY ELSE -- AND ANY OTHER
PLACE WE COULD FIND, TO LEARN
ANY LESSON SO WE COULD MOVE
FORWARD.
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> THERE WERE SEVERAL LESSONS
LEARNED.
LEARNED.
LEARNED. THIS IS 10 YEARS LATER.
>> Reporter: HE WORKED AS A
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIAL IN
BOSTON.
BOSTON.
BOSTON. >> THE MAIN LESSON IS TO GET
THROUGH THE JOB SUCCESSFULLY,
THIS TUNNEL WILL BE BETTER.
>> THEY DID NOT HAVE A MASSIVE
EIGHT LANE SUPER HIGHWAY.
IT WOULD BE LIKE BURYING
INTERSTATE 5.
INTERSTATE 5. >> Reporter: HE WROTE THE BOOK
ON THIS, WE TALKED TO HIM ON
SKYPE FROM BOSTON, HE POINTS
OUT THAT SEATTLE CHOSE A
DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION METHOD.
THE SCALE OF THE PROJECTS WERE
DIFFERENT AND SO WAS THE
CONSTRUCTION BOTH TUNNEL
PROJECTS HAD COST OVERRUNS AND
DELAYS TAKE A LOOK AT THE
NUMBERS, THE BIG DIG WAS
SUPPOSED TO COST 2.6 BILLION
DOLLARS AND THE FINAL PRICE TAG
WAS $15 BILLION AND IT WAS
EIGHT YEARS BEHIND SCHEDULE.
THE VIADUCT REPLACEMENT PROJECT
WAS EXPECTED TO COST 3.1
MILLION DOLLARS BUT IS NOW
BUDGETED TO COST $3.3 BILLION.
IT IS THREE YEARS BEHIND
SCHEDULE, CLEARLY, THE SEATTLE
TUNNEL PROJECT IS NO BIG DIG BUT
CAN SEATTLE AVOID THE PROBLEMS
THAT BOSTON FACED AFTER THE
TUNNELS OPEN UP.
>> THE WOMAN LOST HER LIFE AFTER
THE TUNNEL WAS OPEN.
>> Reporter: A PANEL FELL FROM
THE CEILING AND IT WAS BLAMED ON
THE GLUE.
THE GLUE.
THE GLUE. >> THAT WAS TRAGIC, THAT WAS NO
EXCUSE.
EXCUSE.
EXCUSE. >> Reporter: THAT WAS ONLY THE
BEGINNING OF THE BIG PROBLEMS.
>> INSPECTORS FOUND
DETERIORATED NUTS ON THE BOLTED
LIGHT FIXTURES.
LIGHT FIXTURES. >> THE BIG DIG MAY ALWAYS LEAK,
IT WAS BACK IN 2011 WHEN ALIKE
CAME CRASHING DOWN ONTO THE
HIGHWAY.
HIGHWAY.
HIGHWAY. >> Reporter: YOU AND I BOTH
HAVE THE EXPERIENCE WITH LIVING
IN BOSTON AND DRIVING THROUGH
THE TUNNELS EACH DAY BUT I
DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I WAS
WONDERED IF SOMETHING WOULD
FALL ON MY CAR TODAY?
>> NO PROJECT ANYWHERE IS
ABSOLUTELY SAFE WE KNOW THAT
WHEN WE GET ONTO AN AIRPLANE.
BUT WE WANT TO KNOW, IT IS SAFE
FOR YOU AND ME TO DRIVE THROUGH
IT AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT
THIS HAS BEEN ENGINEERED AND
CONSTRUCTED SO THAT WE COULD
HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE.
>> Reporter: HE WANTED TO SHOW
US SOMETHING HERE, WHAT HAPPENED
WHEN THE ELEVATED HIGHWAY LIGHT
CAME DOWN?
CAME DOWN? >> WE HAD ALL WATERFRONT WHERE
YOU WANTED TO BE BECAUSE IT WAS
PLEASANT AND YOU WOULD WANT TO
TAKE YOUR FRIENDS THERE.
THAT IS WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN
THIS WAS OPENED UP.
I HEAR PEOPLE SAYING THEY WILL
MISS THE VIEW BUT WHAT YOU WILL
GET WILL BE BETTER, IT IS A
WATERFRONT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE