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No update on Highway 99 tunneling schedule yet, stakeholders' group toldJune 25, 2015 at 6:52 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 26 Comments
(WSDOT photo from early June, installing new part for the tunnel machine's cutterhead)
When will the Highway 99 tunneling machine be ready to resume digging?
(Added Monday – slide deck from stakeholders' meeting)
WSDOT told its longrunning Highway 99/Viaduct stakeholders group today that it really has no idea – its contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners still hasn't provided a new schedule for when it thinks the machine will be fixed and ready to go. So technically, they still only have a schedule that says it was expected to get going around August 1st, said Brian Nielsen, the new deputy program administrator (replacing Matt Preedy, who left for a job at Sound Transit). "Clearly they're a couple months behind" where they would have had to have been to make that timeline, he said, but they haven't heard from STP and will let the public know when they do. Once they start up, Nielsen said, they consider the session "a test section" with "essentially a new machine" for the first 500 feet or so, until they get to "Safe Haven 3," where they'd have to stop down before going under the Viaduct.
We were the only news organization at the stakeholders' meeting, held in a meeting room at Safeco Field, so we took notes on a few other items of general interest – they're ahead:
Click to read the rest of No update on Highway 99 tunneling schedule yet, stakeholders' group told…
Highway 99 tunnel machine damage 'more extensive' than expected, WSDOT tells City CouncilMay 18, 2015 at 10:35 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 20 Comments
(ADDED 12:11 PM: WSDOT slide deck as presented to City Council this morning)
10:35 AM: The damage to the Highway 99 tunneling machine is "more extensive" than expected, but not more extensive than they were expecting to fix. That's how it was just announced by WSDOT's Todd Trepanier during the scheduled periodic Highway 99/tunnel project briefing for the City Council. For as long as the briefing continues, we've embedded it above (click the "play" button to access the live Seattle Channel stream). Trepanier specifically mentions machine sealing that's been "stripped away." Trepanier says Seattle Tunnel Partners hasn't said what caused it, and doesn't have to, under terms of the design/build contract, but councilmembers are pressing the point.
10:42 AM: First among them is Councilmember Mike O'Brien, who wants to know the schedule and says he's nervous every day the Alaskan Way Viaduct stays open. Trepanier says that the contractor has told them they'll have a revised schedule next month. Councilmember Tom Rasmussen asks if there's some deadline for this to get going again; Trepanier says they want the contractor to "take the time that (they) need" but adds on followup that the contract does include deadlines with monetary consequences. Those deadline dates are not close, though, Trepanier says. He tries to move along but O'Brien asks again, do they have any idea what went wrong? Trepanier replies no, that's between the contractor and the machine's manufacturer. He continues showing images of the damage (no slide deck provided yet). "If everything is going wrong like this right now, how do we know (it's OK) before it gets back in the ground (and resumes tunneling)?" asks Councilmember Sally Bagshaw.
Next, it's on to a report about ground settlement in the area. One report has reached the conclusion that the drawdown of an aquifer by the "dewatering" for the access pit caused November's settlement. But that has stabilized, Trepanier goes on to say. "That type of settlement is no longer going to continue," they believe. In all, he adds, three reports related to the settlement are out – and they don't all agree with each other regarding other points. One specific area, he adds, is believed to be an area "where there's always been a problem" predating the dewatering.
11:03 AM: Trepanier is showing charts with details of which engineering firm says what. This part of the briefing has lasted much longer than the one about the specific damage has been found in the tunnel machine. After a few minutes of details, he recaps that they disagree with the city over what's to blame for the Pioneer Square water main that needs to be replaced – "it's always been a problem" in their view, before the tunnel-project dewatering. He also says that they haven't found noteworthy structural damage in the area. He also says the aquifer related to the dewatering should eventually have a "rebound effect … when the pump shutoff takes place."
11:21 AM: WSDOT moves on to an update on what other work is being done while the tunnel machine is being fixed. On this side, the South Operations Building is taking shape, he notes. And WSDOT is writing its response to the city's evaluation of the Viaduct, Trepanier adds.
11:29 AM: Briefing is over. We're taking down the live-video window; we're expecting the slide deck from WSDOT in a bit and will add that when it's available.
11:43 AM: WSDOT has published its own summary, here.
12:11 PM: And now we've received the slide deck, and added it atop this story.
UPDATE: Southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct closed 2+ hours because of spool-carrying truck's troubleApril 29, 2015 at 11:51 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news, West Seattle traffic alerts | 32 Comments
(UPDATED 4:41 PM with new post-incident info from SPD)
11:51 AM: The traffic backup on the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct looks more like afternoon commute right now than lunchtime. SPD says it's because of a lost load – reportedly a "12-foot spool." SDOT says it's at Seneca Street and blocking the right lane. WSDOT describes it as "a truck striking the Seneca St. overpass." More to come.
11:59 AM: Now SDOT says the southbound Viaduct is closed at the Battery Street Tunnel.
12:04 PM: Update from SFD:
Forklift being brought in to reposition the load from SB SR99 Ax @ Seneca. SB Lanes shut down at Battery St Tunnel. @seattledot @SeattlePD
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) April 29, 2015
Here's a picture from the scene. (Added: Alan sent this photo looking southwestward toward the trouble spot, taken in the early going:)
12:16 PM UPDATE: The Columbia Street onramp to 99 remains open, per SDOT. And they've just announced they're opening a lane beyond that.
12:29 PM: Southbound 99 is being closed again from the BSTunnel and Western – but again, access from Columbia Street is *not* affected. WSDOT now says, "Forklifts from the Viaduct project are going to the semi on the SB 99 Viaduct to help secure the large spools of wire." (Added: Photo sent by Ben:)
750-1,000 lb spool precariously perched on truck on viaduct. Battery tunnel & Elliot will be intermittently closed pic.twitter.com/ZigTOvVj76
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) April 29, 2015
1 PM: They're still working to clear the situation.
2 spools on the truck. Authorities working to secure them and get everything moving again pic.twitter.com/HEZgYDhC7x
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) April 29, 2015
1:52 PM: SPD says the semitruck driver will be cited. They're close to clearing the scene.
1:57 PM: Reopened!
2:18 PM: It did not go unnoticed that all this happened one day after a City Council committee was debriefed on the 9-hour fish-truck crash closure – also on SB 99 – last month (here's our coverage of the debrief). The mayor's office just tweeted this:
Thank you @SeattlePD, @SeattleFire & @seattledot for working together to resolve a difficult accident on SR99 & to reopen the highway.
— Ed Murray (@MayorEdMurray) April 29, 2015
We're adding, above, some additional images that came in during the operation to clear the spools. Thanks to everyone who sent photos!
4:41 PM: Just in via SPD Blotter, including an update on the Viaduct's structural status and the fine faced by the trucker:
olice received 911 reports at 11:34 AM that a semi-truck had lost a load of two 12-foot spools—each weighing between 700 and 1,000 pounds—on the southbound lanes of the viaduct, near Columbia Street. At least one of the spools struck the underside of the upper level of the viaduct, dislodging the massive load from the truck's flatbed trailer.
Officers blocked traffic onto the viaduct between the Battery Street Tunnel and Stewart Street while officials from the Washington State Department of Transportation, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department and Seattle City Light worked to bring in heavy equipment to remove the spools.
Crews were able to use a bulldozer to re-load and secure the spools back on the semi-truck, which was moved to a construction area. Officials reopened the viaduct shortly before 2 PM. Today's efforts to clear SR99 were significantly aided by planning and partnerships developed after another incident involving a semi-truck in March, which led to a nine-hour closure of the viaduct.
The Seattle Department of Transportation Commercial Vehicle Enforcement team cited the semi driver for "no oversized permit," a violation of a state permit, and for "hitting a structure with impaired clearance." The driver received $482 in citations, and could potentially face fines totaling thousands of dollars to cover the costs of the efforts to remove the spools. Oversized loads are not permitted on the portion of the viaduct where today's collision occurred.
Officials have confiscated the driver's commercial transportation permit, which he will need to reapply for before he can transport the load anywhere.
State officials say the spools—which were reportedly headed for Alabama—appear to have only caused minor damage to the viaduct. They will conduct a further assessment later this evening.
VIDEO: City Council told Alaskan Way Viaduct still 'safe,' but…April 13, 2015 at 10:38 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 19 Comments
(5:12 PM UPDATE: Just added archived video of meeting – briefing starts about 1 hour, 9 minutes in)
10:38 AM: Click the "play" button to watch,
live, as the City Council gets briefed on the Highway 99 tunnel project. Today's big focus – as previewed in our morning traffic/transportation-news watch – is on how much settling is happening with the Alaskan Way Viaduct and vicinity. The briefing is accompanied by a sheaf of technical information, from the state and the city, which has done its own analysis (and has already issued a news release declaring that the AWV is safe to use). More to come – we're adding toplines below, as this continues.
*WSDOT project lead Todd Trepanier reiterates that the Viaduct is safe and that if any information indicated it weren't, they would shut it down ASAP. But, he later says, data underscores that "this structure needs to be replaced."
*Daily "automatic surveys" are "recording information all the time"
*So what would trigger a declaration of "this is unsafe"? Councilmember Bruce Harrell asked. Trepanier insisted there is no numerical answer to that, no "x" cracks or "x" inches, but that they keep monitoring and if something looks close to a trigger, they fix it. "It's complex," he insists. OK, says Councilmember Mike O'Brien, but "what are they comparing it to?" No numerical answer results. Trepanier mentions "demand and capacity."
*WSDOT briefer Dave Sowers goes through the slide deck we've added below. Says that as long as a specific building, specific water line, etc., settles at same overall rate, it's OK. Discussion also underscores that multiple entities are monitoring multiple points and not always finding exactly the same thing in (nearly the) same place; Sowers says they're not yet sure why.
*March 28th inspection for which the Viaduct was closed: WSDOT says quarter-to-half inch of settlement at monitoring spots in Seneca Street vicinity, since last October. CM Sally Bagshaw asks why that area, since not near tunnel pit; WSDOT says they haven't figured it out yet – it's not the area where they've had settling near Seneca in the past. "Bent 76″ (monitoring point) is where some cracks showed movement, they add, and new gauges have been installed. CM O'Brien asks, is the deterioration getting to any certain point such as, the Viaduct could have survived an X quake a month ago but not now? WSDOT's very technical answer does not hit a certain magnitude but does mention that despite the "large cracks" they believe it would be OK in a "108-year event" quake.
*Water main on Western in Pioneer Square to be replaced ASAP – design 90% done – will take about 8 weeks
*City's technical analysis (second slide deck below): Bottom line, the city wants another analysis before tunneling resumes, since some parts of the Viaduct have already hit the inch-or-so of settling that it was expected to be able to withstand. They also would like to know what magnitude of quake the Viaduct is expected to be able to handle, currently, and whether more strengthening might be in order. Are we approaching a point at which the Viaduct would have to be closed? Councilmember Tom Rasmussen asks. Not necessarily, says SDOT.
*Here's the WSDOT presentation:
*Here's the city's technical-analysis presentation:
*Here's the Seattle Public Utilities presentation (including the water-main-replacement plan):
*Seattle Tunnel Partners is making progress on machine-repairing project, says WSDOT, but "still too soon" to set or guess at dates for resumption of tunneling. Won't be the "budget-breaking project" (some have feared), Trepanier says
*No rescheduling yet for the sign-related work that WAS going to shut down 99 lanes north of the Battery Street Tunnel for a while
Inspection report finds central Alaskan Way Viaduct still settlingApril 7, 2015 at 11:25 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 12 Comments
WSDOT has gone public this morning with a summary of what was found during the twice-yearly inspection that closed the Alaskan Way Viaduct a week ago Saturday. Toplines:
Survey crews measure 1/8 to 1/4 inch of additional settlement near Seneca Street. Some widening of existing cracks noted. Additionally, crews note two new cracks on columns near Yesler Way. New crack gauges and focused monitoring in these areas. Other crack measurements are stable.
Despite the new cracks and added settling, WSDOT says, "The viaduct remains safe for everyday use."
SIDE NOTE: The West Seattleite who has delivered so many briefings on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project – going back years pre-tunnel, too – is leaving WSDOT after 23 years. Deputy program administrator Matt Preedy announced last Friday that he's moving to Sound Transit later this spring. In his announcement, forwarded to us by a recipient, Preedy wrote to his colleagues, in part, "Together, we have overcome a number of obstacles and challenges on this very complex construction project. No one ever said building a tunnel under downtown Seattle would be easy but I am confident we have the right team to see it through. … The Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program will always remain the highlight of my career at WSDOT and I plan to celebrate with you at the ribbon-cutting."
SPEAKING OF THE TUNNEL: The latest "expert review panel" report on the project is out – read it here.
Touchdown, Bertha! Tunneling machine's cutterhead now cradledMarch 31, 2015 at 3:36 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 6 Comments
(From WSDOT's project-site cameras)
After getting a day-and-a-half ride up from the pit and over to the cradle, the Highway 99 tunneling machine's 2,000-ton cutterhead is now in place for repairs. The big red crane isn't done with its work, though, according to the newest update on the project website:
… Crews will continue disassembling the machine's 2,000-ton front end in the coming days, using the massive red crane that completed yesterday's lift to arrange pieces on the repair site. Repair work will take place south of the pit beneath a large canopy that will soon be moved into place to protect the workers and machine pieces from the elements. …
No snags reported in the lifting process; if repairs are snag-free too, tunneling could resume by late summer.
PHOTOS, UPDATES: Highway 99 tunnel machine's big liftMarch 30, 2015 at 2:54 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 2 Comments
2:54 PM: In case you haven't already heard – the last and biggest to-be-repaired part of the Highway 99 tunneling machine is on its way up. Here's the latest from WSDOT; you can check out the construction cameras here, but nothing spectacular is visible right now – this will be going on, slowly, for hours to come. We'll update!
4:15 PM: Via Twitter:
Emerging from the pit. I'm now visible on pit-cam 1: http://t.co/sFVXclLJ5s pic.twitter.com/f5dc2ZErw7
— Bertha (@BerthaDigsSR99) March 30, 2015
Mike Lindblom, transportation reporter for The Seattle Times (WSB partner), says the cutterhead is expected to be all the way up and out by 7.
4:42 PM: Newest photo via Twitter:
Rising… pic.twitter.com/0zO8tEcSTG
— Bertha (@BerthaDigsSR99) March 30, 2015
9:07 PM: The cutterhead is out, and horizontal, facing down. Just took this screengrab from the WSDOT camera:
MIDNIGHT: WSDOT says Seattle Tunnel Partners has stopped for the night and will "wait until morning to place the SR 99 tunneling machine's front end on the repair platform. The piece will remain suspended above the platform until a fresh crew arrives in the morning to complete the lift." Meantime, West Seattle photographer Paul Gordon was at the site as the cutterhead came into view, and shared this image:
If the repair work goes the way they hope it will, STP says tunneling could resume in August – 20 months after it stopped.
TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: Viaduct open for rest of the weekendMarch 28, 2015 at 7:53 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news, West Seattle traffic alerts | 8 Comments
7:53 PM: WSDOT says the Alaskan Way Viaduct not only has reopened for tonight, it will NOT have to close again tomorrow – the inspection work is all done. But that *only* affects the stretch between the West Seattle Bridge and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel; north of the tunnel, it remains closed until Monday morning, so if you head northbound on 99, you'll have to exit by Western. Read the full announcement here.
9:55 PM: As of a short time ago, the "Viaduct Closed" lights are still flashing on signs approaching the bridge – but the road really is open.
FOLLOWUP: Why did it take 9 hours to clear toppled truck from Highway 99?March 25, 2015 at 12:01 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 60 Comments
(UPDATED 6:07 PM after followup conversation with SPD)
(Reader photo texted shortly after the crash)
12:01 PM: "Why did it take 9 hours?" is the big question today, one day after a truck full of fish went sideways on southbound Highway 99 in the stadium zone, leading to a 9-hour shutdown that clogged traffic citywide. We have some early answers from Seattle Police:
Lincoln Towing responded to the scene with two large tow trucks and one standard-size tow truck.
Eventually Lincoln Towing personnel were able to raise the overturned trailer. However, the load of fish in the trailer's container had shifted, causing the truck to become unstable. At this point the trailer was upright, but still blocking all southbound lanes. Lincoln Towing determined the trailer's cargo of would have to be off-loaded in order to stabilize the trailer.
City officials ultimately had to rely on personnel from Seattle Tunnel Partners, and used their heavy equipment to off-load a portion of the container. Once about half of the container's cargo was removed, the trailer was deemed stable enough to be moved from the viaduct.
STP is WSDOT's contractor for the Highway 99 tunnel project. All of the above is from a long update published a short time ago on SPD Blotter; it also includes a dispatch-log timeline and aggregated tweets (some of which were featured in our as-it-happens coverage Tuesday afternoon/evening) about the incident.
We also have an inquiry out to Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the Transportation Committee and has pursued extensive followups on earlier incidents, most notably last June's 4-mile, 5-hour shutdown after a head-on crash on 99 just south of the West Seattle Bridge. Some of the changes promised in this September followup report/"after-action plan" (embedded below) were clearly in effect yesterday – SPD/SDOT communication, longer hours for the SDOT traffic-management center communicator(s):
But Tuesday's truck mishap was a completely different type of incident, without a major criminal investigation to complicate things, so it brings up different questions. We'll update this report with anything more we find out today.
P.S. We'll mention again that SDOT leaders including director Scott Kubly were already booked for tomorrow night's West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, 6:30 pm Thursday at Neighborhood House's High Point Center, if you want to ask your own questions and/or hear the answers firsthand.
4:30 PM: Councilmember Rasmussen says he has the same info that you see above from SPD, plus, "I have already requested that SPD and SDOT prepare reports for the Council. We will be scheduling a presentation of their reports to the Council and are working on that date and time now."
5:26 PM: We talked a short time ago with SPD's media-relations/public-affairs Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, seeking answers to several followup questions:
First: Commenters asked, couldn't they just drag the trailer/truck off the highway? No, says Sgt. Whitcomb, there was no way to do that. They tried towing it, dragging it, pushing it; it just wouldn't work, it wasn't stable enough, so finally they tried Seattle Tunnel Partners' heavy equipment. "It was an engineering problem – getting the damaged, jack-knifed truck up on its wheels, stabilized, just took a great deal of time and consideration … determining that additional tools were needed was part of the problem-solving process."
Could STP have been involved sooner? Maybe, but, "at the heart of it, this was a towing operation," said Sgt. Whitcomb. The circumstances "would be hard to replicate – complicated by the damage (to) and the position of the truck. It was fortuitous that (STP) were just right there and could help when needed – a spirit of partnership between the state and the city." (STP is WSDOT's contractor for the tunnel project.)
He said it was cleared as soon as possible, in the end, and they were at one point afraid it could have taken even longer – "there was a two am conference call planned" at one point, to see what the prospects were for the morning commute. The mayor's office was notified early on, and the information loop went all the way to the top at SPD, including consultation with Deputy Chief Carmen Best, #2 in command. Originally, he said, they had hoped it would be cleared by the evening commute, but at some point, everyone but those directly involved in the towing/clearing were "spectators."
Sgt. Whitcomb didn't have details handy on whose truck it was or what happened to the fish, though he recalled a truck spill in the past (full of Mountain Dew) in which the contents of the trailer had to be disposed of because once there had been a mishap, the items weren't salable.
So what now? In addition to the reports about the 9-hour closure, the collision remains under investigation, Sgt. Whitcomb said. No indication of DUI, but, he pointed out, generally "somebody will be cited … 'accidents' don't just happen, it's either mechanical failure or operator error – a rule of the road has been violated and somebody will be cited." And when it comes to commercial vehicle operation, that kind of ticket is "a big deal," he notes.
UPDATE: Southbound 99 reopens after 9-hour closure caused by overturned semitruck full of salmonMarch 24, 2015 at 2:39 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news, West Seattle traffic alerts | 141 Comments
All lanes of the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct at Atlantic Street are closed for a collision. Use alternate routes pic.twitter.com/Fzu0tQYz3E
— seattledot (@seattledot) March 24, 2015
2:39 PM: All lanes of southbound Highway 99 are blocked by an overturned semi-truck in the stadium zone. More to come.
2:55 PM: The southbound Viaduct is now closed at the north end of the Battery Street Tunnel, so if you are headed that way from north of downtown, you'll have to exit on Denny Way. Otherwise, to head south from downtown, you'll need to take I-5 or surface streets such as 1st or 4th. We'll keep updating this since we're heading into the pm commute.
3:14 PM: This is affecting buses too:
Transit Alert – The SB Alaskan Way Viaduct and the stop on WB Columbia St are closed; use the stop on SB 3 Av north of Cherry St.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) March 24, 2015
3:22 PM: For those stuck on the Viaduct when this happened, here's what's being done:
SPD turning traffic stuck on SB SR 99/viaduct around and directing drivers off at Columbia & Elliott. pic.twitter.com/bkfg0xdC4d
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 24, 2015
We have another view of that courtesy of Chi Krneta:
3:43 PM: Still closed. And southbound I-5, we're told, has a stall on the south side of downtown. Another alternative for getting back to West Seattle: The Water Taxi. Its afternoon schedule is just now starting up:
@westseattleblog water taxi has lots of room for first sailing of the afternoon
— axleyjc (@axleyjc) March 24, 2015
Here's the schedule. Meantime:
Here's another look at the overturned semi blocking all lanes of SB SR 99 at Atlantic. **Avoid SB 99 in Seattle** pic.twitter.com/34ydE2x3cF
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 24, 2015
And a view texted to us:
We're still trying to find out if there's any ETA for this being cleared. For now, just assume it'll be hours, and plot your homeward alternative (or don't leave until you hear it's clear).
4:07 PM: SPD says a tow truck's on the case – but that still doesn't mean it'll clear fast:
Tow truck working to clear SR-99 after overturned semi blocks all southbound lanes. More updates as we get them.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 24, 2015
4:19 PM: Keep in mind that there's a domino/spillover effect in many other places. For example, if you click around on the live video cameras in the general downtown area accessible via the SDOT Travelers' Map (lower right) – you'll see scenes such as vehicles STILL clearing off the Viaduct backward – right now at the Columbia onramp, a bus can be seen backing toward 1st, and someone is directing traffic. Also, via Twitter, SDOT says they're hoping to have at least one lane open within a half-hour or so.
5:40 PM: SPD now says two tow trucks are on scene.
5:45 PM: And the problem has finally been explained – "a very large load of fish" is what the semi was carrying.
6:11 PM: The Sounders FC/Club Tijuana match has been pushed back to 7:23 pm. And SPD has an update on the semitruck's driver:
Driver of overturned fish-filled #SR99 semi taken to HMC w/non-life-threatening injuries. SPD investigating for any violations or citations
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 25, 2015
6:33 PM: Latest tweet from the scene – "Responders have separated the tractor from the overturned trailer and are attempting to put the trailer back on its wheels again now."
6:57 PM: Making progress:
UPDATE: Almost back on its wheels. They have a tractor ready to haul it away, if the effort is successful. pic.twitter.com/YwuClVTnFw
— seattledot (@seattledot) March 25, 2015
7:12 PM: After 4 1/2 hours, the truck is right-side up again:
Truck is back on its wheels once more. We are getting closer to opening the roadway. pic.twitter.com/Xmnrd4Ki2O
— seattledot (@seattledot) March 25, 2015
7:47 PM: Now they're moving on to cleanup.
8:19 PM: And that's not so easy, tweets SDOT: "Trailer contents have shifted, making it unstable to transport. They will detach trailer from truck and pull it off roadway."
9:30 PM: Now going on 7 hours since this happened. The trailer has to be unloaded before it can be moved. We asked via Twitter, just out of curiosity, what kind of fish? Answer: Salmon.
10:05 PM: Still closed while crews work with the trailer.
10:47 PM: According to discussion just monitored via scanner, the problem is that the trailer remains unstable. It's about a third empty now and they might try to move it again once it's half empty. We are now in hour 9 of the total southbound 99 closure from the Battery St. Tunnel southward.
11:34 PM: They're about to start reopening southbound 99, now that the truck and trailer have been moved successfully. They're reopening starting at Denny, and then from Columbia.
11:40 PM: Official confirmation, 9 hours after the closure began:
Thank you all for your patience. Contractors have cleared the semi and SR-99 has reopened for traffic.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 25, 2015
That's almost twice as long as the much-dissected 5-hour closure in June of last year following a head-on crash south of the West Seattle Bridge. Different circumstances here – no life-threatening injuries, but the wreckage posed a major challenge to clear. Some of what was promised in reports following the June incident (most notably this one) has been implemented, notably longer coverage hours in the city's Traffic Management Center. We'll be following up on this tomorrow, and certainly we won't be the only ones.
11:16 AM WEDNESDAY: We did indeed inquire with SPD this morning. No direct response but they've published a long report on SPD Blotter which includes photos and tweets from yesterday (some of which we featured in real-time in this report) – we're writing a separate story on this.
3 pieces up, one big piece to go for Highway 99 tunnel machineMarch 23, 2015 at 3:11 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 1 Comment
(WSDOT photo)
A third big piece of the Highway 99 tunneling machine was lifted up from the repair-access pit today – and that means just one BIG lift to go, the cutterhead, for which Seattle Tunnel Partners will use that large red assembly you've been seeing next to the Viaduct. It's shown in this bext photo shared with WSB by Gatewood photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen (taken before today's lift):
The previous two lifts were on Thursday – with the big half-circle piece you see toward left center of the LBN photo – and on Saturday. No exact date announced yet for the cutterhead to be brought out. STP has said that if repairs go well, it hopes to be tunneling again in August.
Highway 99 tunnel machine's road to repairs: 2nd piece lifted tonightMarch 21, 2015 at 9:28 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | Comments Off
From the archives of the camera that peers into the pit from which pieces of the Highway 99 tunneling machine are being lifted for repairs, the view above shows the second part to be brought up. It happened early this evening and was just announced by WSDOT:
Seattle Tunnel Partners has successfully hoisted the second piece of the SR 99 tunneling machine to the surface for repairs. This evening crews lifted one of the machine's upper sections, which weighs less than 100 tons.
Two more pieces of the machine will be removed from the pit as part of STP's repair plan, which this narrated video explains in detail. Up next, crews will lift the right side body section of the machine, which weighs approximately 90 tons. The final lift will bring to the surface Bertha's massive cutterhead and main drive unit, which weigh a combined 2,000 tons.
Here's the view after tonight's lift was done:
If you haven't seen the time-lapse video of the first lift on Thursday, check it out here.
By the way, this gives us another chance to remind you the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed for its twice-yearly inspection next weekend, 6 am-6 pm Saturday and 6 am-6 pm Sunday. A section of Highway 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel, meantime, will be closed throughout next weekend, late Friday through early Monday.
Traffic alerts for NEXT weekend: Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection closures, Highway 99 to the north, I-90March 20, 2015 at 12:00 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news, West Seattle traffic alerts | 1 Comment
A week and a half after first mention, the official alert about next weekend's Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection closures is out, including details of other Highway 99 work PLUS another westbound I-90 constriction (a similar closure a few weeks ago backed up I-5 just north of the bridge, so beware). Read on for details from WSDOT:
Click to read the rest of Traffic alerts for NEXT weekend: Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection closures, Highway 99 to the north, I-90…
Bertha goes to pieces, where tunnel-tolling decision stands, and other notes from Alaskan Way Viaduct stakeholders' meetingMarch 17, 2015 at 9:49 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 18 Comments
(Screengrab taken this morning from camera pointed into the tunnel-machine repair pit)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Much has happened since the Alaskan Way Viaduct (Highway 99) project stakeholders met three months ago.
Just days after their early December meeting (WSB coverage here), the "settling" was revealed.
For the first time since then, the stakeholders' group (membership listed here) convened Monday afternoon in a lower-level meeting room at Safeco Field, and WSB was the only news organization there. Among other things, the group was told that the ground has stabilized, and that the partial deconstruction of the Highway 99 tunnel machine (aka Bertha) is likely to hit a milestone this week.
Other topics tackled included the work that's out of sight but not out of mind, updates on related projects including the seawall, and what's up with the decision-making process on tunnel tolling. (Here's the full slide deck.)
Click to read the rest of Bertha goes to pieces, where tunnel-tolling decision stands, and other notes from Alaskan Way Viaduct stakeholders' meeting…
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates/alertsMarch 10, 2015 at 6:39 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news, West Seattle traffic alerts | Comments Off
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! We start the day with updates …
47TH/ADMIRAL SIGNAL WORK BEGINS: As noted here last night, SDOT says prep work for the 47th/Admiral signal (and new crosswalks and curb ramps) starts today.
99 LANE CLOSURES POSTPONED: If you missed the news at midday Monday, WSDOT heeded the suggestions that it postpone the Highway 99 lane closures that were supposed to start tomorrow and run for weeks north of downtown, since the work is for something that won't even be needed until the tunnel is finished.
NEXT INSPECTION CLOSURE, MARCH 28-29: Same link as above – the morning briefing also included word that the next Viaduct inspection closure (the kind they've been doing twice a year dating way back before the tunnel project) is set for March 28-29. We're still waiting for the hours – whether it'll be an all-weekend closure or a "daytime only" as had been done recently.
Highway 99/Viaduct updates: Lane closures postponed; inspection closure ahead; repair-work updateMarch 9, 2015 at 11:11 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 7 Comments
From a two-part briefing on the Highway 99/Viaduct project (and side issues) that just concluded at this morning's Seattle City Council meeting:
99 LANE CLOSURES POSTPONED, BUT TONIGHT'S CLOSURE STILL ON: The big breaking news came mid-briefing – WSDOT apparently has heeded the observations that the work that was going to lead to weeks of lane closures north of downtown is NOT urgent, and they've decided to postpone it TFN. The work was to pour foundations for signs that won't even be needed until the tunnel opens. However, tonight's overnight closure of NB 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel, in order to remove the "Mercer wiggle," IS still on.
Also on the subject of closures:
INSPECTION CLOSURE: When WSDOT started its part of the briefing, it was revealed that the next major inspection closure of the entire Viaduct will be the last weekend of this month, March 28-29. We're checking to see if that will be a wall-to-wall all-weekend closure, or a "6 am to 6 pm each day" closure.
TUNNEL MACHINE UPDATES: WSDOT's Matt Preedy went through the steps of how the machine's cutterhead will be dissembled.
(Added: 11:38 am screengrab from repair-pit camera)
The main piece is likely to be lifted toward the end of this month, and if all goes well, the machine could restart in August, he said. (See the WSDOT slide deck here.)
CITY BRIEFING: The council-meeting discussion began with an SDOT update on the in-progress "what if the Viaduct had to be closed before the tunnel is open?" SDOT leaders stressed that this is NOT intended to make people think a closure is expected, just that they are continuing to make sure the city is ready just in case. One unsettling point, though – the amount of bus service that would be needed to help mitigate a longterm Viaduct shutdown would take two years to ramp up. (See the SDOT slide deck here.)
VIDEO: Time-lapse view of tunnel machine moving into repair pitMarch 4, 2015 at 9:54 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 5 Comments
Following up on this morning's news that the Highway 99 tunnel machine had made it as far into the repair pit alongside the Alaskan Way Viaduct as it needed to go, WSDOT has released the 1:14 time-lapse video embedded above. According to this morning's update, taking its cutterhead apart to be lifted out for repairs is expected to take weeks.
Traffic alert: Highway 99 closure north of downtown this morningMarch 1, 2015 at 5:13 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news, West Seattle traffic alerts | 3 Comments
One more reminder in case you're heading north this morning: Highway 99 is scheduled to be closed both ways from the Battery Street Tunnel to N. 47th for the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K, 6 am-11 am.
Speaking of pits: Get a better look at Highway 99 tunnel machineFebruary 26, 2015 at 11:38 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 1 Comment
The Highway 99 tunnel machine is back on the move, according to WSDOT. It's protruding further into the repair pit as it moves forward; WSDOT says five more tunnel rings have to be built behind it before it stops short of the north side of the pit. What happens after that is described in today's update on the Highway 99 project website. You can get the newest view by clicking the camera at center-left on this page (that's where the image at left is from).
Highway 99 tunnel-machine update: 'Taking a break' for cleanupFebruary 20, 2015 at 5:35 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 12 Comments
(Image downloaded from repair-pit camera after 5 pm today)
22 feet down, 35 to go for the Highway 99 tunnel machine, one day after it broke through the wall of the pit from which its cutterhead will be lifted for repairs. But it's idle for now, as explained in this late-afternoon update from WSDOT:
After a few days of steady digging, Seattle Tunnel Partners is taking a break from mining so crews can clean out the bottom of the access pit. As expected, a mixture of dirt, concrete and water came into the pit along with the tunneling machine during Thursday's breakthrough. Crews are using vacuum trucks and other tools to remove the material.
Once Bertha's cradle is cleaned off, crews will continue moving the machine forward. Bertha must travel an additional 35 feet before STP and manufacturer Hitachi Zosen can begin the disassembly process. Since mining resumed late Tuesday, Bertha has moved nearly 22 feet.
Meantime, the SDOT director's report we mentioned in an earlier story includes a few related notes. For one, SDOT director Scott Kubly writes, the city's plan to independently evaluate the Alaskan Way Viaduct is proceeding: "Initial consultant scope, to be completed by early to mid-March, focuses on technical review of 2010-2014 studies of the viaduct and serviceability/safety for use of the viaduct structure." Later in the report, he writes, "Bridge engineers responded to a report that concrete had fallen off the Alaskan Way Viaduct near Seneca Street. No significant defect was noted and it appears to be the continued minor deterioration of the aging structure." (The date when this happened wasn't mentioned.)
VIDEO: Highway 99 tunnel machine breaks through access-pit wallFebruary 19, 2015 at 11:39 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 29 Comments
11:39 AM: If you've been on the Alaskan Way Viaduct this morning and noticed a dust cloud – the Highway 99 tunneling machine is "preparing to break through" the wall of its repair pit, according to a Twitter update a few minutes ago. Earlier this morning, WSDOT published a web update saying the machine had moved 14 of the 20 feet it needs to go to break into its repair pit. It had warned that they expected the machine to overheat and have to stop down, but aside from a stopdown reported last night so other work could be done in the pit, there's been no word of that happening. WSDOT says it's switched the pit camera to more frequent updates – every five minutes – so you can check in here (left-center frame).
12:44 PM: And while we were away from the desk for a bit:
The top of my cutterhead has broken through the wall. I'll dig 2 more ft. before stopping to build a ring. pic.twitter.com/SVcThsimnv
— Bertha (@BerthaDigsSR99) February 19, 2015
Online, WSDOT adds:
This is just the beginning of the repair effort being led by Seattle Tunnel Partners and manufacturer Hitachi Zosen. The machine will continue to move forward in 6 ½ foot increments, stopping to build rings on its way into the pit. When the front end of the machine is fully exposed, crews will begin the disassembly process. STP has told us that taking the machine apart and lifting it to the surface will take significant time and effort.
ADDED 5:22 PM: WSDOT offers this video including the first glimpse of the machine's cutterhead (most visible around 1:15 in):
Update: Highway 99 tunnel machine now a third of the way to the pitFebruary 18, 2015 at 9:47 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 14 Comments
(UPDATED LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON with progress report)
9:47 AM: Last week, WSDOT said the Highway 99 tunnel contractor would likely start the process this week of trying to get the tunneling machine to move 20 feet ahead so its damaged cutterhead can be pulled from the 120-foot-deep pit dug next to the Viaduct. This morning, there's word the process has begun. As of 7 this morning, according to WSDOT's announcement, the machine had made it about three feet forward:
The machine must mine through 20 feet of unreinforced concrete to reach the pit. The duration of this effort will depend on the machine's ability to mine through the concrete while operating with a damaged seal system. STP anticipates the machine may overheat, as it has during their most recent attempts at mining. If the machine becomes too hot, they will take a break for it to cool down before resuming.
The image above is from the WSDOT page displaying several "live" construction cameras. (P.S. The south side of the pit, where it's expected to break through, is on the left side of the photo.)
4:32 PM: WSDOT has just posted another update – saying the machine has now gone six feet.
Highway 99 tunnel-project updates: More viaduct settlement; repair updateFebruary 13, 2015 at 6:34 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 13 Comments
(Added 9:27 pm: New image from camera over 'access pit' built to retrieve part of tunnel machine for repairs)
WSDOT has published another update on the Highway 99 tunnel project. You can read the entire update here; we're excerpting two parts of it, starting with word of more Alaskan Way Viaduct settlement:
Survey crews have confirmed that the Alaskan Way Viaduct between South Main Street and Railroad Way South has settled up to ¼ inch in the past month. Our bridge experts are confident this minor, uniform settlement does not pose any new safety risks to the public. The viaduct remains vulnerable to earthquakes, but it is still safe for everyday use. If we had any reason to believe the structure was unsafe, we would not hesitate to close it.
These latest measurements only apply to this section of the viaduct. We have not measured any similar trends elsewhere on the viaduct, in nearby buildings or the ground surface. We expect the viaduct will continue to experience minor settlement until it is removed. Viaduct settlement has made headlines in recent months, but it's important to remember that this isn't a new issue. The viaduct has been settling for years, as you can see in our inspection log. Hundreds of monitors have been installed in the ground and on the viaduct to help us monitor settlement, and we will continue to keep a close eye on the structure's condition as construction continues.
WSDOT also says the operation to move the tunnel machine into the repair pit could start within days:
Click to read the rest of Highway 99 tunnel-project updates: More viaduct settlement; repair update…
Highway 99 tunnel: Repair-pit digging's done, says WSDOTJanuary 30, 2015 at 4:49 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 4 Comments
(At 3:39, WSDOT's video shows excavation on its final day, today)
Just in from WSDOT, the latest Highway 99 tunnel news: The pit being dug to lift out the tunneling machine's damaged cutterhead has reached the desired depth, 120 feet.
… Approximately 20,000 cubic yards of material was removed from the ground over the course of excavation, which began in mid-October. With excavation complete, crews can begin construction of the concrete cradle at the bottom of the pit. The cradle will support the machine after it moves through the pit's southern wall, which is about 20 feet thick.
STP plans to tunnel through the concrete wall. The length of time it takes Bertha to reach the pit will depend largely on her ability to mine through and digest the concrete. If she's unable to mine through the wall, STP will create an opening from within the pit to give her an unobstructed path forward. Once inside the pit, crews will use the massive red gantry crane … to hoist the front end of the machine to the surface for repairs.
Today's update also says, "Settlement levels near the pit remain stable."
(WSDOT photo)
Meantime, for more info on that giant crane – which you've likely noticed right next to the Viaduct downtown – check out Seattle Times (WSB partner) transportation reporter Mike Lindblom's story from two weeks ago.
Update: Council's longer-than-expected briefing on tunnel/Viaduct, and the 2 words repeated over and overJanuary 12, 2015 at 1:02 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 41 Comments
(4:09 PM UPDATE: Archived video of the meeting now added above. The Viaduct discussion starts at 1 hour, 37 minutes in – you can drag the playback bar there)
1:02 PM: The City Council is already an hour and a half past the time it expected to conclude this morning's "briefing" meeting. WSDOT has been on the hot seat since 11:15 am on the state of the tunnel-repair project and issues including a letter from SDOT in response to a report from WSDOT engineers around the time the repair pit's status became an issue a month ago. Much discussion focused on the phrase "catastrophic failure" relating to the repair pit work – though it's been reiterated over and over again that the Viaduct is safe, councilmembers want more assurance. Two more agencies are coming up now – SDOT and Seattle Public Utilities – so we're putting the live window above, and will be adding the highlights of notes we've been taking (plus other coverage links) along the way.
1:29 PM: The meeting just adjourned. Here's what's transpired so far:
–Much discussion about the letter sent by SDOT to WSDOT and the engineering report that led to it. As far as we can tell, this was first reported by Sydney Brownstone of The Stranger. WSDOT opened its part of this morning's meeting by sternly declaring that the city letter took the phrase "risk of catastrophic failure" out of context. This was repeated over and over again; the City Council, however, got stern right back – Councilmember Kshama Sawant, for example, noted that she formerly worked as an engineer, and engineers don't use that phrase for no reason. Council President Tim Burgess asked WSDOT if it had the December 11th report handy, and when told, "yes," stopped the meeting briefly so it could be given to a clerk who immediately made copies for the council. We've asked WSDOT for the document as well, and will add it here as soon as it comes in. (ADDED: Here it is; the "catastrophic failure" mention comes in the final paragraph. Note that WSDOT says this was a "draft" and has also sent a 12/19 "final" version [added]- here's that one.)
Later in the meeting, WSDOT suggested that because of this "out of context" quoting, it might restrict city access to a system in which it keeps these reports, and several councilmembers voiced disbelief at that.
Click to read the rest of Update: Council's longer-than-expected briefing on tunnel/Viaduct, and the 2 words repeated over and over…
Speaking of pits: Hwy. 99 tunnel-machine-access digging resumesJanuary 8, 2015 at 3:30 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 7 Comments
For the first time in more than two weeks, we have an official update on Seattle's most closely watched pit – the one intended to reach the Highway 99 tunnel machine, so its cutterhead can be retrieved and repaired. WSDOT published the update this afternoon, saying that its contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners resumed digging today, and that: "Settlement levels near the pit have remained stable for more than six weeks." The pit is 3/4 of the way to the 120-feet depth at which STP says it will pour a platform for the front of the machine to rest on, after it is turned back on to advance a short distance into the pit. Timeline? Nothing new yet, says WSDOT; you might recall, the most recent ballpark-guess tunnel-opening date was August 2017.
P.S. Reminder that seawall-and-tunnel-related work downtown will result in access changes at Colman Dock and Water Taxi Pier 50 starting tomorrow.
Tunnel updates: Opening no sooner than August 2017; access-pit digging on hold again; new 'settling' infoDecember 22, 2014 at 2:35 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, West Seattle news | 75 Comments
(Added: New screengrab from tunnel-machine-access-pit camera)
2:35 PM: Even if nothing else goes wrong with the Highway 99 tunnel project, it won't be open for use any sooner than August 2017.
That's an estimate made by the contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners BEFORE the recent discovery of "settling" in the area; WSDOT just disclosed the date today, as part of a general pre-holiday update. The update also says that while no new settling has been detected near the pit being built to retrieve the cutter head of the broken-down tunneling, machine, settling elsewhere "is greater and farther reaching than anticipated. Engineers are still evaluating whether other factors are involved that could explain the discrepancy. We will continue to conduct daily inspections of the viaduct and watch the survey data closely as STP moves forward with their work. As we write this, we're on a conference call with other reporters and reps from WSDOT and STP – we'll be adding more details shortly.
ADDED 3:19 PM: The conference call is over; from WSDOT, it included project executive Matt Preedy and spokesperson Laura Newborn, and from Seattle Tunnel Partners, executive Chris Dixon, plus local/regional/national reporters.
Among the many points of note:
-The August 2017 date that debuted today was described as coming from the "October update" by STP. We asked why it wasn't mentioned before, not even during the official stakeholders' briefing (at which we were the only news org on hand) in early December. STP explained that these updates – which WSDOT now plans to make public – take several weeks to assemble, so the "October update" is just being parsed now. (Which means, they acknowledged, we won't know full details of the "November update" – which would still not include this month's turbulence – until January, and so on.)
-The schedule will remain "dynamic," said WSDOT's Preedy, until the tunneling machine is back in operation. (In other words, even the new August 2017 date is nowhere near set in stone.)
-Excavation of the pull-the-cutter-head-out-for-repairs pit is on hold now for two weeks, and not expected to resume until early January. Digging stopped on Friday, about three days after WSDOT had said it could resume. Some non-structural pilings, explained in the official online update, are being pulled out before they start going to the next level. STP's Dixon explained that digging had been done in stages, about six feet at a time, before an evaluation of where everything stood. At the completion of the most recent stage – to 90 feet in pit depth, aka "-74 in elevation" – they decided to pause for piling removal.
-Would it have been quicker, in hindsight, to approach the tunnel-machine repair project from the south/interior? STP insisted it's happy with its choice to build the pit to try to hoist the cutter head out, even though it's of a magnitude that has never been done before, given the machine's record size, etc., and has "been more difficult than anticipated."
-The settlement of the Viaduct itself, when recalculated as explained in the online update, will likely be a bit less than estimated, but the settlement causes in the area remain a mystery, and an investigation continues.
-As for the big issues – who pays for all this unanticipated work? – the state continues to point out that this is a "design-build contract" and that STP is expected to do whatever it takes to fulfill that. Pressed on certain specifics, WSDOT's Preedy said he didn't think it "appropriate for either party to speculate" on how it's all going to be worked out.
-About the "70 percent complete" recent proclamation, today's answer seemed to mostly boil down to, that's the percentage STP has been paid.
P.S. To see the "October schedule" from which the August 2017 open-to-traffic projection was pulled, go here. WSDOT also has published the September schedule, which also seems to project that same month (albeit a couple weeks earlier than the Oct. "schedule").
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Briefs - My Life - Greater Memphis
Holiday notice
The city of Memphis will observe the Good Friday holiday. On Thursday garbage carts and recycling bins will be serviced, and yard debris will be collected, for those who usually receive these services on Thursday or Friday. There will be no collection service on Good Friday. Questions? Call 901-576-6650.
Botanic Garden egg hunt
On Saturday, bring the family to the Memphis Botanic Garden for an egg hunt, 1-4 p.m. Explore the garden's 96 acres while searching for hidden eggs, with prizes for grown-ups and children alike. Children's age-specific hunts take place at designated times: ages 2 and younger: 2:30 p.m.; 3-5 years: 2:45 p.m.; 6-9 years: 3 p.m. Hunting eggs throughout the 96 acres of the garden continues from 1 p.m. until all eggs are found. (One prize egg per family.) Before and after hunts, enjoy a magic show, live music, and kids crafts and activities. Photos with the Easter Bunny and concessions available at additional cost. MBG members $6, nonmembers $8. Under 2 free. $10 at the gate. Special-event admission does not include My Big Backyard. Purchase advance tickets at MBG front desk or online to skip the line on event day. Call 901-636-4100 for information.
Spirit of Giving nominations
Volunteer Mid-South is accepting nominations for the 2013 Spirit of Giving Awards. Nomination deadline is April 4. The event will be April 25. Awards will be presented in the categories of Adult, Senior, Youth, Large Group, Small Group, Board Member and Outstanding Volunteer Program. All winners (except the Youth category winner) receive $500 for their agency plus an engraved award. The Youth winner will receive $250 for their agency and $250 for their self. Nomination forms are available online at volunteermidsouth.org and completed forms should be submitted electronically to firstname.lastname@example.com.
For more information about reservations at the Spirit of Giving Awards, contact Sandra Palazolo at 901-523-2425, ext. 212 or e-mail email@example.com.
International Guitar Festival
Performances by virtuoso artists Lily Afshar, David Mozqueda and Daekun Jang will highlight the annual Memphis International Guitar Festival at the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. The event, April 5-7 in Harris Concert Hall, 3775 Central Ave., will include three concerts, a competition and master classes. More information is available by calling 901-678-2541 or online at memphis.edu/guitarfest.
ArtsFest 2013
Memphis City Schools is preparing its fourth annual ArtsFest. The public is invited to bring their families to ArtsFest 2013 on April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MCS Board of Education, 2597 Avery. ArtsFest is designed to celebrate student achievement in the arts, engage the community in supporting students and teachers, and highlight the power of arts in education. ArtsFest 2013 features exemplary student works of visual art and live performance in theater, dance, band, choir and orchestra. There will be art projects for kids as well as local professional art agencies on site. This event is free, open to the public. There will also be an ArtsFest Finale Concert at 7 p.m. on April 6 at the Cannon Center featuring the nationally acclaimed Fisk Jubilee singers. For more information about ArtsFest 2013, visit mcsk12.net/artsfest.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Rosen Rises to OM of Chicago's WSCR, WXRT. Ten-year WSCR "The Score" program director Mitch Rosen is boosted to operations manager of the CBS RADIO Chicago sports outlet, as well as co-owned triple A WXRT. In a memo to the stations' staff, CBS RADIO Chicago senior vice president and market manager Rod Zimmerman writes, "Mitch's organizational skills, management style, and sales focus will help grow the great [WXRT] brand." Rosen previously programmed the Windy City's similarly-programmed WMVP "ESPN Radio 1000″ and was Paragon Marketing Group's vice president of broadcast representation. Norm Winer continues as WXRT program director.
Chad Peterson Named Morning Host at KFKA, Greeley, Colorado. Weld County Colorado native Chad Peterson is the new morning drive host at Broadcast Media LLC's KFKA, Greeley, Colorado. He'll anchor the newly re-imaged "Advantage Bank's Morning Drive" program. Peterson says he's excited to return to his roots, "Returning to the heritage station in the market – the one I grew up listening to – is a privilege and an honor. I'm excited to serve the community."
Howie's Back – Actually He Never Left – Carr Continues on Boston Airwaves with New Flagship and Ownership of 15-Affiliate Regional Network Set for National Expansion. Last week TALKERS reported New England radio legend Howie Carr's departure from his longtime radio home WRKO, Boston after two decades upon the termination of his most recent employment contract. It was no secret that the relationship between Carr and WRKO owner, Entercom Communications, had been a stormy one with the air personality/Boston Herald columnist and prolific best-selling author likening his departure from the facility to being "sprung from prison." Beginning today (11/17) Carr brings his 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm daily program up the dial to WUFC 1510 AM as the evolving news/talk outlet also kicks off a return today to branding itself by its original, legendary handle, WMEX. The station, owned by Blackstrap Broadcasting is under the management of Kevin Wallis's Wallis Communications which reportedly has signed a purchase and sale agreement to take over ownership of the outlet during the first quarter of 2015. More importantly, Carr exits Entercom taking ownership and control with him of his 15 station New England regional network – the Howie Carr Radio Network (HCRN) which includes such heritage outlets iHeartMedia's WHYN, Springfield, Saga Communications' WGAN, Portland and WCRN, Worcester owned by Kurt Carberry who will manage affiliate relations and distribution for HCRN. Known for succeeding on both the ratings (adults 25-54) and revenue fronts, Carr has developed a reputation for being extremely listener and affiliate-friendly in terms of live appearances, sales promotions and production services – qualities he says he intends to keep intact as he expands the scope of the network to a larger segment of the Northeast and ultimately across the nation. On joining the new 1510 AM outlet, Carr tells TALKERS, "It's a real pleasure to finally be working again with people who are truly committed to radio, and to the talk format in particular. Boston remains a great market for talk radio, and WMEX is where it all began, with Jerry Williams talking to James Michael Curley, Malcolm X and so many others. It's also the station where I started, in 1980, occasionally hosting the Herald Bulldog Edition. I know the new WMEX is going to be a great success for all concerned." The heritage WMEX calls in Boston go back to 1934 (first at 1500 AM, then 1470 AM before taking up 1510 AM in 1941) and the station was home to many radio greats over the years including Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg. In addition to Carr, the new incarnation of WMEX includes such national personalities in its line-up as Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Dennis Miller, and Alex Jones as well as local shows including the daily "Morning Meeting" provided by Boston Herald Radio. Sales and marketing for the Howie Carr Show and HCRN are being handled by the company's vice president Kathy Carr who can be emailed at email@example.com.
Sullivan Honored by Habitat for Humanity of Ohio. At its annual conference, Habitat for Humanity of Ohio last week awarded the 2014 Volunteer of the Year award to the 13-year host of Premiere Networks' "At Home With Gary Sullivan" program. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati president and chief executive officer Ed Lee notes, "Gary Sullivan is always willing/eager to share/leverage his knowledge and contacts to help expand the reach of Habitat for Humanity in the Greater Cincinnati region. He has truly made a difference in our community and helped transform lives through decent, affordable home ownership. The Habitat mission is brought to life by our volunteers – none do it better than Gary." Sullivan remarks that he is "embarrassed and humbled by this award, but proud to accept it on behalf of all the hard working Habitat volunteers." His Saturday and Sunday Premiere Networks radio show is heard in 240 markets. In addition to being a longtime Habitat volunteer, Sullivan is a board member and serves on the "executive" and "development" committees. He has been active in the non-profit Christian housing ministry for over 20 years. He created/hosted "The Hardware Store," which aired on HGTV for four years in the mid-1990s.
Sales Management Moves at Greater Media Detroit. At the Detroit station group, Greater Media announces Patti Taylor is promoted to general sales manager of classic rock WCSX and rock WRIF. At the same time, Jonathan Ghazal is named sales manager for WMGC "Detroit Sports 105.1." Taylor has been serving as GSM for WCSX since February of 2013. Ghazal joined Greater Media Detroit as an account executive in October of 2012. Ghazal takes over for Cindy Senkbeil who remains with the WCSX sales team. She'd been sales manager of WMGC since November of last year.
Odds & Sods. Small business expert Jim Blasingame celebrates his 17th year on air hosting "The Small Business Advocate." The show began as a two-hour daily program on November 17, 1997…..WGN, Chicago promotes Scott Miller to supervising producer. Miller is the executive producer of the Pete McMurray show. His new duties will mean he has oversight of the booking for all of the Tribune radio shows…..The price tag on Hubbard Radio's purchase of Omni Broadcasting's 16 Minnesota stations is $8 million dollars. The deal, announced last week, must pass FCC muster…..CBS RADIO Pittsburgh is the media sponsor of the 16th Santa Spectacular taking place at Point State Park this Friday (11/21). The CBS RADIO Pittsburgh stations – including news/talk KDKA-AM and sports talk KDKA-FM – are helping to present the afternoon's activities that culminate in the lighting of Duquesne Light Tree and fireworks-to-music finale.
KNX, Los Angeles Continues 'On Your Corner' Series with Holiday Charity Component. The "KNX On Your Corner" on CBS RADIO's all-news KNX, Los Angeles continues in December as the station profiles Cerritos on the 12th from Mimi's Café . Dick Helton and Vicky Moore will anchor the live broadcast from 5:00 am to 9:00 am, Frank Mottek will host the "KNX Business Hour" from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm and Jim Thornton and Diane Thompson will anchor the news from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Listeners can participate on Twitter and Facebook using #KNX OnYourCorner. Mimi's Cafe will also serve as a drop-off point for KNX's annual "CHiPs For Kids" holiday toy drive in conjunction with CBS 2 and KCAL 9. New, unwrapped toys will be collected for distribution locally to less fortunate children by the California Highway Patrol.
Backbone Networks Offering TALKERS Readers Free eBook, "16 Tickets to Starting a Talk Radio Station." Boston-based, digital radio tech firm Backbone Networks – the state-of-the-art broadcasting solutions company that played an important role in the successful launch of TalkersRadio, has published an eBook designed to show talk broadcasters aspiring to set up their own internet talk stations the key steps to take in order to make it happen. According to Backbone president Richard Cerny, "Every successful radio personality can now easily afford his/her own 24/7 station." Cerny tells TALKERS, "The future of radio is bright but targeting a single distribution medium to reach listeners has many challenges. The future is an integrated view of your listeners. One that encompasses AM, FM, satellite and the internet. The barriers to entry for starting a digital station have been lowered, especially compared to the cost of running a traditional terrestrial radio station. The difference between surviving and thriving depends on your station as a platform, your programming and the fan base you build and maintain." The newly published eBook is available at no cost to TALKERS readers. To obtain a copy, please click here.
Ferguson Tensions, Latest Hostage Execution/Battle Against ISIS, Net Neutrality, GOP vs ObamaCare, 2016 Presidential Prospects, and DEA Raids NFL Teams Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/17). A state of emergency is declared in Missouri as the decision by the grand jury whether to indict officer Darren Wilson is awaited; the execution of aid worker Peter Kassig over the weekend and the ongoing battle against ISIS in Iraq and Syria; the controversy over net neutrality and the Obama Administration's support of it; talk of the GOP's plans to take on the Affordable Care Act; the potential candidates for president in 2016; and the weekend raid of three visiting NFL teams by the Drug Enforcement Agency were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Cox Media Orlando Names Scott Anez Host of 'Orlando's News at Noon.' There are a couple of moves to report from CMG's news/talk WDBO-FM "News 96.5" and sports talk WDBO-AM "ESPN 580" and they center around longtime Cox Orlando air talent Scott Anez who's been with WDBO for the past 23 years. Since the company flipped the AM side to sports a year ago, Anez has been hosting "ESPN Afternoons" from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on "ESPN 580," "Orlando's Evening News" from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm on "News 96.5" as well as "Inside Magic" prior to Orlando Magic broadcasts. Now, Anez will take over the "Orlando's News at Noon" program to free up his packed afternoon schedule. Program director Drew Anderssen says, "As a listener favorite, moving Scott to host 'Orlando's News at Noon' will allow him more flexibility in his schedule and a greater focus on each show, ultimately providing our listeners a more consistent listening experience." This move allows news director Joe Kelley to relinquish the noon show on-air duties and focus on hosting "Orlando's Morning News" and serving as news director for the station. The station expects to announce a new permanent host for the "Orlando's Evening News" program soon and will use its stable of hosts and reporters to anchor the show for now.
J.D. Hayworth Sues Broadcasting Company of the Americas for XEPRS, San Diego Termination. Talk radio host – and former Arizona congressman – J.D. Hayworth has filed suit against the company that operates sports talker XEPRS, San Diego "Mighty 1090" after he was dismissed six months into a two-year deal. Hayworth – whose background in radio is largely as a political news/talker – was inked to a two year contract to co-host the morning drive show on XEPRS alongside market vet Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton in March. The company let Hayworth go in late August and now Hayworth is suing for breach of contract and four other complaints. The thrust of Hayworth's complaint is, according to the contract, he could only be terminated for "for Cause," and that when he was let go, the station either refused or was unable to specify how he had failed to live up to the contract. He's seeking the pay due under the terms of the two-year contract, plus attorneys' fees and more. If the case goes to trial, it appears it will be Hayworth's goal to prove that the fact that station management felt Hayworth's pairing with Hamilton wasn't working out was not something that can be defined as a "violation" of his contract and therefore something that fell under the "for Cause" clause in the pact. In a sentence, if you have a no-cut contract, just because it's "not working out," isn't reason not to get paid.
KNX, Los Angeles' Frank Mottek Honored. KNX, Los Angeles business anchor and host of the "KNX Business Hour" program, Frank Mottek, was honored with the "Outstanding News Professional" award from the Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Los Angeles chapter on Wednesday, November 6. The 49th annual PRism Awards gala took place at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The awards were established decades ago to honor a select number of companies, individuals and programs that most exemplify above-and-beyond industry and community impact. PRSA is the largest public relations organization in the world, with more than 21,000 members nationally. Pictured here (from l-r) are: KNX news director Julie Chin, director of programming Andy Ludlum, Mottek and CBS Radio SVP/Los Angeles market manager Dan Kearney.
Odds & Sods. Tribune's WGN Chicago names Scott Miller executive producer for the late night Pete McMurray show that airs from 11:00 pm to 2:00 am. Miller had been working freelance for the show and he tells TALKERS, "During my freelance time on the Pete McMurray show, I have booked: Buddy Guy, Billy Corgan, Mike Love, Dr Oz, Paul Rodriguez, Frankie Valli, Nora Dunn, Lester Holt, Nick Offerman, Aaron Paul, Mo Rocca, Kevin Cronin, and Bruce Hornsby to name a few. Famed Comedy Club owner Jamie Masada voted me 'Chicago's Funniest Media Personality' at Laugh Factory Chicago!"…..NRG Media's KOIL, Omaha was recently recognized by Omaha's Child Saving Institute for its commitment to children and families with the organization's "Corporate Award" at the CSI Awards luncheon earlier this week. KOIL has hosted the CSI Radiothon for the past 14 years raising more than $1 million for services to local children in need. This year's radiothon is December 13…..WRKO, Boston morning drive talk host Jeff Kuhner (pictured here on stage addressing fans) celebrated his one-year anniversary as host of "The Kuhner Report" on Wednesday evening at the Pearl Street Café in suburban Saugus, Massachusetts. Some 200 fans packed the restaurant to help Kuhner celebrate the benchmark…..At Clear Channel's sports talk KXNO, Des Moines, Tim Fisher leaves the morning show to relocate to Houston for personal reasons. Travis Justice and producer Ross Peterson continue to host the "Morning Rush" program.
ObamaCare Rollout Criticism Tops Talkers TenTM. Talk of the problems with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, the implementation of the federally run website, and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' role in the process was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 was Tuesday's election day results. Following at #3 was Republican Party strategy for the 2014 and 2016 elections and at #4 was President Obama's declining approval numbers. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week's entire chart here.
The Doctor and Mr. Cain. Genesis Communications Network nationally syndicated talk show host Dr. Daliah Wachs (right) poses for a photo with WestwoodOne-syndicated talk host (and former presidential candidate) Herman Cain (center) at a fundraiser for Congress of National Equality spokesman Niger Innis (left) who is running for U.S. Congress in the 4th district of Nevada.
TALKERS Weekly Affiliate Roundup. "Free Talk Live" with hosts Ian Freeman and Mark Edge joins the programming at KINX-FM, Great Falls, Montana; KVFC, Cortez, Colorado; and KSZL, Barstow, California…..GCN-distributed "Freedom Feens" with Michael W. Dean and Neema Vedadi is picked up by WNFZ-FM, Powell, Tennessee…..Talk Media Network-syndicated "Fat Guys at the Movies" with Kevin Carr and Kristin Dreyer Kramer is added to the Saturday program schedule at KVEC, San Luis Obispo, California.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
'AM 970 The Answer' New York Host Curtis Sliwa Breaks up Fight During Remote Broadcast. Leave it to Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to step away from the microphone just as he's about to do a live commercial read to stop two New York City tour operators from getting arrested for fighting on the sidewalks of Manhattan. Sliwa broadcasts his morning program on Salem-owned WNYM, New York "AM 970 The Answer" from the display window at the Hotel Pennsylvania on 7th Avenue (between 33rd and 34th) and this morning (10/16) just as he was heading into a commercial break, he noticed two tour bus operators – likely fighting over territory from which to recruit tourists – getting into a vicious fist fight. Sliwa left the remote studio to break up the fight and then returned to talk about the incident on the air with both former Governor David Paterson and guest New Jersey political analyst Steve Adubato. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison describes Sliwa as a real life superhero of sorts stating, "I once had the pleasure of meeting Curtis for lunch in New York. He shows up at the restaurant in his red satin jacket and beret and people from all over the place were coming up and saying 'Hi, Curtis' and giving him the high five. Between the 'costume' and the populist love coming his way, it felt like I was having lunch with Spiderman!"
Hear some of the audio here.
Status of KRLD-FM, Dallas' Chris Arnold Uncertain After Plagiarism Charge. Sports talk personality Chris Arnold has been missing from the midday "G-Bag Nation" program at "105.3 The Fan" after being charged with plagiarizing copy from Cold Hard Football Facts writer Scott Kacsmar. Dallas Morning News writer Barry Horn reports that CBS Radio local management is investigating the case. After Arnold wrote a piece defending Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and posted it on the station's website, Kacsmar contacted Arnold via a public Twitter exchange and Arnold admitted to using Kacsmar's material and apologized. Arnold asked Kacsmar to appear on the radio but he refused and asked Arnold to apologize on the radio. To see Kacsmar's documentation of the allegations of copying, click here.
Elander to Head Galaxy Communications' Sports Marketing Unit. Galaxy Communications is expanding through the creation of a sports marketing unit and it brings in Ken Elander as the venture's general manager. In addition to Galaxy Events, the company owns 14 New York State radio stations in Syracuse and Utica-Rome. Galaxy president/chief executive officer Ed Levine explains that the newly created sports marketing division will focus on "many and varied sports franchises" with which the company has a flagship/affiliate relationship in both of its radio markets. Levine says, "These include Syracuse University football, basketball, and lacrosse as well as the Utica Comets, Syracuse Crunch, Utica College, Buffalo Bills, and the New York Giants." Commenting that he is "proud and excited" to be part of "this ambitious new division," Elander adds, "Galaxy's successful sports legacy provides a strong foundation for an even more successful future." His background includes stints with Time Warner Cable and Syracuse's WTVH-TV.
NextRadio and Tagstation Report: More Than 40,000 Downloads of FM Radio App. According to the mid-October report by Emmis' TagStation team and NextRadio, the number of downloads of the app to operate the FM receiver on select mobile phones passed the 40,000 mark and is currently enjoying an 84% app retention rate. The report also notes that "more than 4,000 FM radio stations were tuned to from the app and more than 12,000 hours of listening through NextRadio" have taken place. The recent release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is begin given credit for the interest. It's also expected that more FM radio-enabled devices will be launched next month.
Ex-MLB Slugger and Radio Personality Jack Clark Strikes Back in Pujols 'Juicer' Allegation Case. When former MLB star Jack Clark was co-hosting a sports talk show on WGNU, St. Louis with Kevin Slaten, he stated he knew "for a fact" that former Cardinals player Albert Pujols used steroids. He also told the audience a former trainer told him that Pujols used steroids. Pujols filed suit against Clark in St. Louis County earlier this month charging Clark's lies have caused him harm. Now, Clark is firing back requesting that both parties take polygraph tests and that whoever fails will have to apologize to the other. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Todd Frankel reports Clark's attorney admits Clark used a poor choice of words since he didn't have first-hand knowledge of steroid use by Pujols but relied on second-hand reports. Clark and Slaten had brokered the time for their show on WGNU from insideSTL Enterprises.
SoCal Radio Revenue Up 7.2% in September. According to the Southern California Broadcasters Association and Miller Kaplan Arase, LLC, there was a total market revenue surge in the region in September of 7.2%. SCBA president Thom Callahan says, "September produced impressive growth for the LA radio market. This critical swing month showcased some great revenue performances from our member stations, which maximized both local and national spot and blew the doors off digital revenue." He adds, "On a year-to-date basis, Miller Kaplan Arase is reporting total revenue growth at 3.4% through September. However, our trend line during 3rd quarter 2013 reveals a 5.2% growth rate YTD for the same period. Simply put, Q3 was powerful and we see the same trend developing for Q4." Callahan says that his organization is encouraged by activity in the insurance category even though the effects of the Affordable Care Act have not met their initial expectations.
Similar-Named Business Networks Merge. A transaction involving a Center Post Holdings division and Business TalkRadio Network has some resemblance to Abbott & Costello's "Who's on first?" routine. Among other entities, Center Post Holdings owns/operates several media companies, including BizTV and Biz Talk Radionetworks. Here is where things get a bit interesting. CPH is acquiring Greenwich, Connecticut-based Business TalkRadio Network. Consulting operations officer of Business TalkRadio Network parent Blue Star Media Group, Jeff Weber, is named president of the network. "This acquisition fits nicely in our portfolio of media-centric assets," notes Center Post Holdings executive vice president Scott Miller. "A number of programs are carried on both networks and we expect that number to expand as we integrate the operations. It's a natural fit for us and we are ready to expand our suite of benefits to small business owners." Siblings of Business TalkRadio Network include the Lifestyle TalkRadio Network and Greenwich, Connecticut talk outlet WGCH. Weber was executive vice president of Blue Star Media Group (June 2002 – December 2011) and rejoined the company one year ago (October 2012). The sale price is not immediately known.
Rich Zeoli Still Hosting Evening Show at WPHT. In our coverage of yesterday's news of Rush Limbaugh's and Sean Hannity's return to CBS Radio's WPHT, Philadelphia, TALKERS magazine delivered a run-down of the station's new program schedule (beginning October 28) but failed to recognize evening host Rich Zeoli whose program airs from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm currently but will end at 9:00 pm when Sean Hannity's show starts airing. TALKERS regrets the omission.
Odds & Sods. BlogTalkRadio partners with sports fan site SB Nation to create SB Nation Network – a destination for the latter's official podcasts and a place where other sports audio content can be made available. In a piece in Tech Crunch, it notes that more than 50 sports talk shows are currently available on the SB Nation Network…..Mike Greenberg, co-host of ESPN's "Mike & Mike" and author of the New York Times bestselling novel All You Could Ask For announces he and his wife Stacy Steponate Greenberg are donating $100,000 to The V Foundation for Cancer Research to combat breast cancer. The novel was written to honor the memory of the late Heidi Armitage, a close friend of Mike and Stacy's, who died from the disease in 2009. In conjunction with the release of the book, Mike and Stacy created a foundation called Heidi's Angels, through which all of the author's profits from the sale of the book are being donated to The V Foundation to support breast cancer research…..CH Holdings' news/talk KTRS, St. Louis will soon simulcast the audio from KTVI-TV, St. Louis' 6:00 pm newscast. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports KTRS GM Mark Dorsey says, "KTRS sees an opportunity to provide our listeners a chance to get caught up on their news, weather and sports while on their way home."
Government Shutdown, Debt Ceiling, ObamaCare Implementation, Immigration Legislation, and MLB Playoffs Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (10/15). The struggle in Washington to re-open the federal government; the looming deadline for the nation's debt limit; the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the criticism of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; potential immigration legislation that would grant amnesty to illegals already in the U.S.; and the Major League Baseball playoffs were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.


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|49 posts found
Novice Member
Joined: 12/05/05
As someone said , The black house is amazing, but for me the final battle at Polaris vs "Cthulhu's spawn" is the best gaming experience in a mmorpg since many years.
That awesome monster hiden in the fog...mate, that's a encounter.!
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Novice Member
Joined: 9/16/08
If they ever change the combat system i'll play it, it's the only thing that made me back out on buying it. The stories were awesome.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 9/13/09
"A strange game. The only winning move is not to post."
Hey Bill, you left out what is perhaps the most popular mission of all. You know, the "Get Easy Puzzle Mission And Refuse To Even Try To Solve It On Your Own And Instead Pester Other Players In Gen Chat To Give You The Answer" Players really seem to dig that one.
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
Hard Core Member
Joined: 10/10/07
The image is not the spoiler. Your mentioning it, is the spoiler.
Pardon any spelling errors
Novice Member
Joined: 4/23/07
Favorite quests? Oh man that's hard... Let's see.
'Dawning of an Endless Night' , the first storyline quest, is a given. Just the way it plays out is interesting to say the least and more often than not it made me stop and think.
The aforementioned 'Something Wicked' was fun, just because of the need to think outside the box and follow the clues given in - what I deemed to be - an unusual way.
Madame Roget's quests, 'The Raven' and 'The Vision' were also really fun to me. Especially deciphering the cryptic hints from her visions, needed to wrack my brains a fair few times.
The abandoned park and its missions with the creepy rides that whisper at night was a nightmare (in a good way). The actual rollercoaster ride was quite... trippy.
The Black House made me shudder. I was glad to have it done and over with. The game's superb audio work really shines through here.
The Faction rank-up missions are always a blast, the first one really surprised me and I have an aversion to pitch-black-darkness missions ever since (and there are a fair few of those..)
'Win Win' was a fun mission too, after getting through the challenge of actually sneaking into the Orochi camp undetected, getting faced with a pattern recognition logic/math puzzle made my brain hurt pretty badly.
'The Big Terrible Picture' in Egypt was TONS of entertainment for me. Needing to use an actual legitimate cypher and then trying to decode the sequences, and then with the--- Yeah no spoilers. Let me just say I loved it to pieces and it's possibly one of my favorite ones.
But the best mission to me so far was the 'bridge' mission between the first and second storyline, where you get sent to the abandoned asylum. I am honestly not sure if this mission is the same for all factions (I'm Dragon), but it... well it frankly took its toll on me. It's the one sole mission where I had to have a friend talk with me on skype as I was doing it because I was freaking out pretty badly, and needed someone to just be there for me. Let's just say I was losing my mind alongside my character. Absolutely superb.
Advanced Member
Joined: 5/21/08
Wow, everything from combing over the internet to get the album length to "don't stop believin", to slowly, methodically trying to learn morse code (as that is the only way to decipher an important message).. and the message is in easy, beginner, slow speed! Thumbing through the bible trying to unwind cryptic messages, using detective skills... in short, all your powers of reasoning are tickled and pushed. This has completely set a new bar for the level of immersion and fun an MMO can create as far as I'm concerned. Its not just about running around gunning things down, although that is a lot of fun as well, lol.
As far as listing my favorites, wow, that is just too hard to do at the moment, although I heartily agree with The Raven's spookiness (literally got chills running through my spind at MANY different points of this quests as certain things triggered for the first time).
In addition to all of that, it seems Funcom is trying to singlehandedly help players to "unlearn" years worth of masochistic, grind fest style hamster wheel questing. They limit how many quests of certain types you can have active at a given time, which forces you to slow down and focus on what you are doing. You are expected to concentrate, not just burn through the non-existant levels of the game. To that end, I have to say I have not enjoyed the first month of any MMO the way I am enjoying the mood, atmosphere, and overly feeling of playing this game. I know I'm going on and on, but if you have ever had something that was so much fun that you can't even stop thinking over riddles and puzzles, trying to work out solutions and asking co-workers while you're at work? Ya, its that good! Love this game!
Advanced Member
Joined: 5/21/08
Oh, one other thing that I meant to mention... Has anyone else noticed the incredible level of detail surrounding every aspect of the game? I mean, we're talking even so far as literally dozens and dozens of mock internet pages dedicated to non-existant towns (google kingsmouth and see if you find what I'm talking about.. suffice it to say the "kingsmouth" from the game, on a "Solomon Island" doesnt exist IRL... But if you were to go to the web page talking about it, complete with tourist info, photos of a Lighthouse, etc, you would never know the difference, lol.
Tried the same with Orochi, as well as their partner companies. Dozens of pages dedicated to in game only lore about he secret societies. The lengths they have gone to to create a truly seamless, fluid world you can experience in much the same way you experience the real world is incredible!
Novice Member
Joined: 7/12/12
The black house is great. If this place dont scear you - you need to book a time to your doctor.
There are so many great quest in TSW, I still working on dawning of and endless night after to week, because the tier get harder and harder. It has 18 tier in this quest!
Apprentice Member
Joined: 8/01/12
I do have to say that the quests/missions in this game do give you better immersion than any other mmo I have ever played.
The black house had me jumping in my chair and whipping my character around thinking I was going to have some massivly difficult battle...And try the front door first if you have not been there yet!
The questing is pretty seemless after you get out of Kingsmouth. I kinda was all over Kingsmouth so it was not fluid for me but everything after has takin me right where I need to be to go onto the next quest. You MUST EXPLORE though to find all of them. I have passed 100 quests and just got to blue mountain (which is the 3rd part of the newbie island) so there is more than enough content if you watch all of the amazing cutscenes and actually try and solve all of the puzzles your self.
Truely the most FUN that I have had in an mmo and definately does NOT feel like I am grinding xp just to grind.


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The Billings City Council is considering increasing residential garbage collection rates by more than $2 per month beginning July 1.
The current monthly rate is $7.77 per month; under a proposal developed by a rate study conducted by the city's Public Works Department, the charge would be $9.78 per month with the start of the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Council members discussed the proposal Monday during a work session and will hold a public hearing on the matter in April.
Jennifer Duray, finance manager for the Public Works Department, told the council the increases are needed to help cover a variety of cost increases, including fuel costs (up 8 percent annually), maintenance (4 percent) and property insurance (10 percent). An additional $50,000 is needed in the 2014-15 budget to purchase containers, $93,000 for two additional landfill maintenance workers, $100,000 additional for closure and post-closure costs at the landfill and $150,000 to privatize a household hazardous waste contract.
In addition, the Phase 6 expansion at the landfill planned to begin in about seven years is expected to cost $15 million.
Even with the increase, Kalispell is the only comparable community with lower collections rate -- $111 annually, compared with the $117.36 proposed for Billings residents. Helena charges its residents $186.34 annually; Bozeman, which has opened a new landfill, charges $276 annually. Missoula had the highest annual rate, at $312.
"Part of our low cost is that we own the landfill, and the distance to haul to the landfill is less," said Dave Mumford, Billings public works director.
Under the proposal, landfill tipping fees will increase for Billings residents by $1.43 per ton, from $14.76 to $16.19. Residents who live outside Billings but still in Montana would pay $19.52 per ton in tipping fees.
The Public Works Department is considering allowing out-of-state haulers to take trash to the landfill. Their tipping fee would be $26 per ton. Of that total, $2.58 per ton would go into the city's general fund.
"Our landfill is a great asset," Mumford said. "It's a place where the city council can look to pick up some extra money for the general fund."
Otto Goldbach, with Two Tough Guys Services, a private hauler in Cody, Wyo., told the council his company would appreciate the city opening the local landfill to out-of-state haulers who must pay much higher tipping fees elsewhere.
"I'd like to take some of my business here," he told the council. "The price offset would make that feasible."
Duray said she's heard from several out-of-state communities asking "Will you take our waste?"
"It's still a good deal for them, not to have to build a landfill," said Councilman Denis Pitman.
Councilman Rich McFadden seemed reassured when he learned that the landfill has enough land and options to be in operation for at least the next 70-80 years.
"I'll check back with you then," he joked to Mumford.
"This is an opportunity to be prepared for a $15 million investment in the landfill," Councilwoman Becky Bird said. "We are a growing city and we have services that people not only need, but demand. The reality is it costs money to provide those services. I prefer not to kick the can down the road."
Other business
The city council gave Mumford the OK to work with Downtown Billings to place privately financed statues downtown and, perhaps down the road, along other Billings streets. The project as it now stands will begin along Broadway and eventually could include locating art inside roundabouts.
"Is it safe to put art in a roundabout?" McFadden asked. "People might get kind of distracted driving around those."
Mumford assured him East Coast and European cities have art within their roundabouts with no deleterious effects.
Public Works employees would help locate and secure the statues. The idea is based on a successful public art project in Sheridan, Wyo.
"We think this is a good program that would bring more tourists and give people something to remember about Billings," Mumford said, adding Monday's was "a very preliminary discussion."
Council members asked Parks and Recreation officials for more information on proposed fee increases for, among other things, the new speed slide at the Rose Park pool, as well as possible increases in admission there and at the South Park pool.
They'll consider the increases during an April meeting.