2 0 1 6 , ▁after ▁a ▁bar ge ▁carrying ▁exc av ated ▁d irt ▁t ipped ▁over ▁in ▁Elli ott ▁Bay , ▁sp illing ▁its ▁load ▁and ▁dam aging ▁a ▁dock ▁at ▁the ▁Port ▁of ▁Seattle ' s ▁Terminal ▁ 4 6 . ▁The ▁same ▁day , ▁a ▁sink hole ▁formed ▁within ▁the ▁tunnel ' s ▁work ▁zone ▁approximately ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁access ▁pit ; ▁the ▁hole ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁ ▁of ▁concrete ▁by ▁contract ors ▁the ▁following ▁day ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁expected ▁by ▁W SD OT ▁to ▁delay ▁the ▁res umption ▁of ▁dig ging ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁week . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Governor ▁Jay ▁Ins lee ▁ordered ▁dr illing ▁on ▁the ▁tunnel ▁to ▁stop , ▁inv oking ▁a ▁contract ▁clause ▁in ▁the ▁tunnel ▁agreement ▁that ▁allowed ▁the ▁state ▁to ▁susp end ▁work ▁based ▁on ▁unsafe ▁conditions ▁for ▁project ▁personnel ▁or ▁the ▁general ▁public . ▁Before ▁exc av ation ▁of ▁the ▁tunnel ▁could ▁res ume , ▁W SD OT ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁contract ors , ▁Seattle ▁T unnel ▁Part ners , ▁complete ▁and ▁deliver ▁an ▁analysis ▁of ▁what ▁caused ▁the ▁January ▁ 1 2 ▁sink hole ▁and ▁what ▁modifications ▁to ▁t unn eling ▁operations ▁could ▁be ▁made ▁to ▁prevent ▁further ▁ground - level ▁problems . ▁ ▁Dig ging ▁res umed ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 3 , ▁after ▁a ▁W SD OT ▁review ▁determined ▁that ▁new ▁soil ▁monitoring ▁practices ▁were ▁sufficient , ▁allowing ▁the ▁machine ▁conditional ▁permission ▁to ▁bore ▁through ▁ ▁of