06.28.2023

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Today’s Forecast

You know the drill

Seattle’s famous boring machine MudHoney finishes its job

MudHoney before the journey — and after, a little worse for wear. | Photos via Seattle Public Utilities and SEAtoday staff

Rock on, MudHoney. Yes, we’re applauding the massive boring machine named after the local grunge band that rock n’ rolled its way through 2.7 miles of dirt from Ballard to Wallingford.

MudHoney’s long, two-year tour just ended this week at N. 35th Street and Interlake Avenue. And, boy, it deserves a break.

The drill created a giant, underground tunnel for the Ship Canal Water Quality Project that will store + help reroute millions of gallons of overflow from storm surges, keeping it out of local waterways. How metal is that?

A graphic that shows a cartoon version of the boring machine MudHoney going under Seattle neighborhoods — MudHoney completed the most arduous task of the $615 million Ship Canal project.
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Graphic via Seattle Public Utilities

What’s all this for?

Any time it rains in Seattle (and, yeah, it’s kind of our thing), water flows from gutters and storm drains through a combined sewer pipe system to treatment plants.

But much of the city’s sewer pipe infrastructure is ~75-100 years old and doesn’t have the built-in capacity for large surges — so overflow ends up trickling into nearby waterways (not great for Salmon Bay + Lake Union).

MudHoney’s new tunnel will be able to store 30 million gallons of water at a time when operational. That water will flow into a pump station in Ballard and then to an existing treatment plant in Magnolia to get cleaned.

A rendering of a pump station in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA, with a nearby pedestrian walkway — Designs for the Ballard pump station call for an illuminated tower.
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Rendering via Seattle Public Utilities

Digging into the future

The MudHoney tunnel was a major milestone for the Ship Canal project, which is pegged to be completed in 2026. In 2024, construction will start on the Ballard pump station with a 70-ft tall tower, odor controls (thankfully), a tree farm, and public art by Jeffrey Veregge of the Port Gamble S’Kallam Tribe.

There will also be underground structures built to connect existing pipes to the MudHoney-dug storage tunnel in Wallingford. Once that’s done, site + road restoration will get underway.

As for our old drill buddy, MudHoney plans to return to its German manufacturer, which may reuse its parts — its casing can be melted down and recycled locally, though. We’ll consider that a boring beach retirement.

Asked

What should MudHoney’s tunnel be nicknamed?

A. The Grunge
B. Showstopper
C. Mudslide
D. Into the Drink

Let us know

Events

Wednesday, June 28

Mushroom Foraging Class | Wednesday, June 28 | 8-9 p.m. | Skål Beer Hall, 5429 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle | Up your skills by learning about edible mushrooms in the region from a professional guide.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains” | Wednesday, June 28 | 8:30 p.m. | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle | $15 | The “Weird, Wild, and Wonderful” program revisits this 1982 cult classic — a punk rock musical starring a young Laura Dern.

Thursday, June 29

South Seattle Running Forum: Meet + Greet | Thursday, June 29 | 5:30-8 p.m. | Chuck’s Hop Shop, 5041 Wilson Ave. S., Seattle | Free | If you’re looking for a group for casual runs, trots, or walks, try out this intro meet-up to find like-minded folks.
Chef Steph Premiere Party | Thursday, June 29 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | The Link Project, 2002 E. Union St., Seattle | Free | Local chef Stephenie Simmons stars on the new Hulu reality show “Secret Chef” and is hosting a not-so-secret watch party with food + drinks.

Friday, June 30

“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” in Concert | Friday, June 30-Saturday, July 1 | Times vary | Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle | $52-$182 | “Boba Fett?! Where?” Enjoy the epic “Episode VI” of the Star Wars saga on the big screen while the Seattle Symphony plays John Williams’ score.
Meet the Author: Eric Neil Pitsenbarger | Friday, June 30 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Nook & Cranny Books, 324 15th Ave. E., Seattle | Free | The Seattle-based writer discusses his new memoir, “Beaujolais in My Blood: Growing Up Gay and Well-Fed in a Family-Run French Restaurant” about his childhood in Mendocino, CA.

Saturday, July 1

Grumpy Bean Cameras and Coffee | Saturday, July 1 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Grumpy Bean, 910 Stewart St., Seattle | Free | Snap some pics while sharing tips + tricks with other photogs — coffee and tea are free.
Soul on the Water | Saturday, July 1 | 2-8 p.m. | Pier 62, 1951 Alaskan Way, Seattle | Free | R&B star Jac Ross and local artists take the stage for an afternoon filled with soulful live performances, family activities, and shopping.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Beauty

Seriously, no one can mess up this minimalist beauty routine

The viral MERIT Signature Makeup Bag is free with every first purchase. | Photos by MERIT Beauty

10-step skincare routines and makeup tutorials may dominate our social feeds, but the reality? Most of us don’t have time for that.

For us, getting ready means a pared-back beauty routine that we can do on the go — which is exactly why cult-favorite, minimalist beauty brand MERIT created The MERIT Sets: curated routines that help you get everything you need (for less).

Plus, get their chic Signature Makeup Bag free with your first order.

We're looking at you, 'Five Minute Morning' set

News Notes

Closing

After 33 years of stage productions based on literature, the Book-It Repertory Theatre will close due to factors that included a lack of major donors and declining attendance. The nonprofit announced it will start shutting down operations after its current play “Solaris” ends its run on Sunday, July 9. (Seattle Times)

Development

Construction plans to begin this fall on the Othello Square co-op U-lex. Homes in the 68-unit building will be subsidized and set aside for first-time buyers or those who haven’t owned a home in the past three years. The project aims to be completed in 2025. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Arts

Take this as a sign — Vanishing Seattle is looking for old signage and memorabilia donations for its upcoming free art exhibit about the changing city landscape. “Forest For The Trees” will appear at Pioneer Square’s RailSpur building during the Seattle Art Fair in July and the First Thursday Art Walk on August 3. (My Ballard)

Announced

Time to get that PTO in for a sandy vacay. Alaska Airlines announced that it will add three weekly nonstop flights from Seattle to the Bahamas later this year. The seasonal service will start on Friday, Dec. 15 and run through Wednesday, April 10. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Sports

Matty niiiice. The Kraken’s young star Matty Beniers just won the NHL rookie of the year award known as the Calder Memorial Trophy. Beniers, who’s only 20 years old, led all rookies in total points for the 2022-23 season and helped Seattle make a deep playoff run.

Traffic

Northbound I-5 will be closed for construction at the I-90 interchange beginning at 9 p.m. over the next two nights, and the ramp from I-90 to Olive Way will close at 11:59 p.m. All of those roads will reopen each morning at 4 a.m. (KING 5)

Environment

Experts warn that all of Washington is primed for an above-normal wildfire season due to hot and dry conditions. Because 90% of wildfires are human-caused, officials suggest avoiding activities like parking on dry grass, leaving campfires unattended, and throwing out cigarettes in the woods. (Seattle Times)

Biz

T-Mobile is moving out of several Eastside office buildings. The company plans to sublease three of its Eastside buildings along 160th Avenue SE from September to the end of 2029. This decision comes a year after T-Mobile declined to renew a lease near its Bellevue headquarters. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Seattleite

Talk about some serious drive. At age 14, Bellevue golfer Angela Zhang will be the youngest player at the LPGA Tour’s US Open, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the sport. She’ll tee off with opponents when the event starts Thursday, July 6. (KING 5)

Coming Soon

Looking to knit pick? Longtime West Seattle shop Seattle Yarn has found a new location at 2701 California Ave. SW. The owners hope to open the shop by the end of summer with plans to start classes and possible collaborations with neighboring brewery Good Society. (West Seattle Blog)

Transit

Looking to change up your commute, Seattle? Vanpooling is an affordable rideshare option that saves time and money. Use King County’s Fare Schedule calculator to see how vanpooling’s cost-saving services really can make the commute better.*

Travel

Dreaming of a trip abroad this summer? Babbel offers lesson plans for 14 different languages spoken throughout the world. Prep for the trip of your dreams with bite-sized, 10-minute lessons that will help you start speaking a new language in just three weeks.*

Outdoors

🌲 Happy trails

Federal money will help build Puget Sound to Pacific Trail

A view of the Olympic Mountains from a river in Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park offers diverse terrain + landscapes. | Photo by @kayadusk2dawn via Instagram

Who’s up for a realllly long hike? Thanks to a $16.1 million grant from the US Department of Transportation, plans can speed along on a plan for an epic 200-mile hiking trail that connects the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas.

Dubbed the Puget Sound to Pacific Trail, travelers could get off the ferry at Bainbridge Island and make it all the way to La Push along the path.

The money will help create designs for key segments of the long-planned trail, while upgrading parts that already exist.

On Bainbridge Island, the trail plans to follow State Route 305 to the Agate Pass bridge and as “a neighborhood connector and a linear park,” according to a local advocacy organization.

If you simply can’t wait for the big whopper, don’t sweat it — we listed plenty of current local hikes and nature walks to get you moving in the meantime.

Shop

Travel

Wanna save 40-90% on flights? Sign up for Going — a free travel membership — and you can browse deals immediately (like a $300+ round trip to Barcelona).

Drink

On a water bottle hunt? Amazon’s No. 1 bestselling insulated bottle is the Owala FreeSip — it’s thoughtfully designed, leak proof, and keeps drinks cold.

Outdoors

Decorating tip: Show your patio some love with a cute and colorful area rug. We love this outdoor-friendly geometric green one.

Shop

Looking to support small businesses? Shop our online store, Six & Main, for all of your summer essentials.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Gabe

From the editor

It was cool to see MudHoney (the machine) in person this week — almost like meeting a celebrity. Even more impressive? The drill and its human companion workers operated 24 hours per day, six days per week in shifts over the course of the two-year process. Well done, everyone.

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