Mammoth crane positioned for Seattle tunnel project

SEATTLE — The Dutch company Mammoet, whose name means mammoth, is assembling a huge custom crane over a pit being dug to reach the boring machine that got stuck while drilling a highway tunnel under downtown Seattle.

Sometime in the next few weeks, the crane will lift the 4-million pound cutting head so it can be repaired and lowered back down the 120-foot pit, The Seattle Times reported Friday .

“That’s why I like working for this company. It’s like a big Lego box full of stuff,” said Jaroen van Kooperen, the 37-year-old project manager responsible for the big lift.

The contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners, is digging the pit to rescue the machine called Bertha that stalled a year ago.

It’s an engineering feat involving a 1,300-ton crane and a 2,000-ton load in close space.

“It has a pretty tight fitting all around,” van Kooperen said. “You need to come within a few millimeters with a 2,000-ton piece of equipment. Taking it out is not that hard, but putting it back in will be.”

Seattle Tunnel Partners and the state Transportation Department need for the repair project to work. They’re hoping the new 2-mile Highway 99 tunnel will be completed in late 2017 so the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct can be demolished.