Gallery: After 4 Years, Seattle's Giant Tunneling Machine Finally Breaks Through
Washington State Dept of Transportation01Bertha-tunneling-machineHP-1.jpg
Bertha the tunneling machine broke through a new concrete wall into a disassembly pit.
Washington State Dept of Transportation02Bertha-tunneling-machine2-1.jpg
At first it was hard to see the machine's arrival through clouds of dust.
Karen Ducey/REUTERS03Bertha-tunneling-machine-RTX34376.jpg
Workers clamoured to get a shot of the exact moment Bertha emerged.
Washington State Dept of Transportation04Bertha-tunneling-machine6-1.jpg
Now crews will remove the metal support braces so that Bertha can move all the way into the pit.
Washington State Dept of Transportation05Bertha-tunneling-machine3-1.jpg
Engineers will cut the 6,100 ton machine into pieces no more than 20 tonnes in weight, so that they can be removed on trucks.
Washington State Dept of Transportation06Bertha-tunneling-machine4-1.jpg
A worker looking out through Bertha's blades gives an idea of the scale of the earth chewing machine.
