Take a look inside Seattle tunnel; contractor says Bertha will resume digging by Nov. 23 (VIDEO)



SEATTLE (AP) — Critical final repairs are being made this week to Bertha, Seattle's tunnel boring machine, and digging is slated to resume by Nov. 23.

Washington transportation officials say the new State Route 99 tunnel is now scheduled to open in the spring of 2018 -- almost three years beyond the original target of late 2015.

Bertha broke down in December 2013 and crews spent much of 2014 digging a pit to access the front of the machine so the cutter head could be repaired.

Seattle Tunnel Partners pulled the machine out of the ground in March, and they said in a press release on Friday that they began installing a new main bearing on the machine this week.

Project manager Chris Dixon says they want to reassemble the machine and begin tunneling as quickly as possible, but also want to be sure it's done right.