SEATTLE — Workers have stopped digging the pit to rescue the stalled boring machine for a tunnel under downtown Seattle.
The state Transportation Department says worked stopped Thursday so that archaeologists can check out “shell material” of possible cultural value.
A spokeswoman, KaDeena Yerkan, said Friday they don’t know how long the investigation will take.
Digging started in the past week on the 80-foot wide pit that will be 120-feet deep. It will allow workers to lift out and repair the cutting head of the boring machine called Bertha.
Bertha overheated and came to halt last December about 1,000 feet, or 10 percent of the way, into the planned Highway 99 tunnel.
