▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁after ▁a ▁t ether ed ▁bar ge ▁in ▁Elli ott ▁Bay ▁dam aged ▁nearby ▁pi ers ▁and ▁a ▁sink hole ▁opened ▁near ▁the ▁project ▁site . ▁Governor ▁Jay ▁Ins lee ▁halt ed ▁all ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁tunnel ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁cit ing ▁concern ▁over ▁public ▁safety ▁after ▁the ▁sink hole ▁incident . ▁Dig ging ▁briefly ▁res umed ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 3 , ▁but ▁was ▁halt ed ▁again ▁for ▁ ▁maintenance ▁and ▁ins pe ctions ▁before ▁res uming ▁full ▁operations ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 9 . ▁T unnel ▁b oring ▁was ▁completed ▁on ▁April ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁with ▁Ber tha ' s ▁cut ter head ▁breaking ▁into ▁a ▁dis assembly ▁v ault ▁at ▁the ▁tunnel ' s ▁north ▁portal ▁in ▁South ▁Lake ▁Union . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁W SD OT ▁estimated ▁that ▁the ▁tunnel ▁would ▁be ▁completed ▁and ▁open ▁to ▁traffic ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁The ▁estimate ▁was ▁re vised ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁to ▁open ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 9 ; ▁an ▁estimated ▁$ 2 2 3 ▁million ▁in ▁cost ▁over run s ▁stem ▁from ▁the ▁two - year ▁delay ▁of ▁the ▁machine . ▁ ▁Name ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁Ber tha , ▁after ▁Seattle ' s ▁first ▁female ▁mayor , ▁Ber tha ▁Knight ▁Landes , ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁a ▁panel ▁( that ▁included ▁the ▁Governor ▁and ▁Transport