Retired civil engineer proposes undersea tunnel for Mukilteo/Clinton route
A retired civil engineer from Seattle is proposing a new way for people to travel from Mukilteo to Clinton that doesn’t involve the ferry.
“You need a different mindset,” Bob Ortblad said.
Ortblad is a retired civil engineer and teaches a University of Washington class on the history of infrastructure.
He is proposing an underwater tunnel system as an alternative to the state’s ferries.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/retired-civil-engineer-proposes-undersea-tunnel-for-mukilteo-clinton-route/ar-BB1ejQtg?ocid=hplocalnews
UW professor floats idea for tunnel between Whidbey, Mukilteo
According to his designs, the tunnel would be four miles long and follow a curved path, rather than straight, to account for the depth of Puget Sound. It would be about 610 feet below sea level with a 6 percent grade.
Ortblad estimated the project to have a price tag of $200 million, basing the cost off of construction fees for similar tunnels in Norway and the Faroe Islands.
This cost could be covered by charging a toll to access the tunnel, he explained. It could be paid off within a decade if the toll is the same amount as the current ferry fare.
He predicted a tunnel would have nearly twice as many cars than the ferry route would.
https://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/uw-professor-floats-idea-for-tunnel-between-whidbey-mukilteo/
Isn't that why people move to Whidbey Island for the most part because they don't want a lot of cars or people/
