ation ▁Secretary ) ▁from ▁ 1 5 0 ▁subm issions ▁from ▁kind erg arten ▁through ▁ 1 2 th ▁grad ers , ▁who ▁were ▁asked ▁to ▁submit ▁female ▁names ▁with ▁Washington ▁state ▁her itage . ▁The ▁winning ▁entry , ▁which ▁was ▁submitted ▁by ▁two ▁elementary ▁schools ▁in ▁P ou ls bo ▁and ▁Ho qu iam , ▁was ▁selected ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Some ▁media ▁have ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁machine ▁as ▁" Big ▁Ber tha ". ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁regional ▁trans it ▁ag ency ▁Sound ▁Trans it ▁decided ▁to ▁drop ▁names ▁for ▁its ▁own ▁tunnel ▁b oring ▁machines , ▁used ▁for ▁smaller ▁light ▁rail ▁t unn els , ▁cit ing ▁unw anted ▁association ▁and ▁confusion ▁with ▁Ber tha , ▁especially ▁the ▁machine ▁" Br enda " ▁used ▁on ▁the ▁North gate ▁Link ▁Ext ension ▁and ▁University ▁Link ▁T unnel . ▁ ▁Design ▁and ▁assembly ▁ ▁Ber tha ▁was ▁designed ▁and ▁manufact ured ▁by ▁Hit achi ▁Z osen ▁Sak ai ▁Works ▁of ▁Os aka , ▁Japan , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁earth ▁pressure ▁balance ▁tunnel ▁b oring ▁machine , ▁at ▁a ▁cut ter head ▁diameter ▁of ▁ ▁across . ▁The ▁machine ▁was ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁we ighed ▁. ▁The ▁machine ▁itself ▁cost ▁$ 8 0 ▁million ▁and ▁is ▁owned ▁by ▁Seattle ▁T unnel ▁Part ners , ▁the ▁project ▁contract ors . ▁Seattle ▁T unnel ▁Part ners ▁is ▁a ▁joint ▁vent ure ▁of ▁New ▁York - based ▁Drag ados ▁USA