Final names up for voting in tunnel boring machine naming contest

Seattle Public Utilities has narrowed down possible tunnel boring machine names to just five and are now asking the public to vote on their favorite.

After receiving 1,200 submissions, the finalists are:

Voting is open now and will remain open until next Wednesday, March 31. (You can vote here). The winner will be announced in mid-April.

The tunnel boring machine is currently still being pieced together in the downtown Ballard project site as part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project. The machine will help dig the 2.7-mile, 18-foot diameter storage tunnel along the Ship Canal to capture stormwater runoff and improve water in the Ship Canal and Salmon Bay by 2025.

SPU says they’ll continue assembling the tunnel boring machine at the 24th Ave NW and Shilshole project site and preparing the shaft for tunneling operations that will begin this summer.

During this time, SPU says you can expect the following:

Working hours are expected to be 7 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, with weekend work expected over the next few months while the team prepares for tunneling.

In East Ballard, crews will continue ground improvement works at NW 45th St. You can expect the following:

Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm, with occasional night and weekend work to maintain progress.

At the Fremont site, crews will continue utility work at NW 36th St to prepare the site for the equipment required to support the 8-foot conveyance tunnel. You can expect the following at this site:

Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 am to 5 pm, with occasional night and weekend work to maintain progress.

To learn more about the ongoing project and the Wallingford and Queen Anne work sites, visit the Ship Canal Water Quality Project website.