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The tunneling machine known as Bertha has been stuck beneath the Seattle waterfront since December 2013, stalling construction and racking up millions in cost overruns.

One local engineering firm has a fresh idea for the fumbling tunneling project: Instead of moving Subarus through the heart of the city, the tunnel should be used by salmon.

"What we've found is the leftover tunnel could be an outstanding, if not the perfect, conduit to help our coho friends make their way from Puget Sound into Lake Union," said Don Meadows, lead engineer at Seattle-based Subterranean Design Group.

Right now, the salmon that return to Lake Union to spawn must navigate the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks. That facility was built more than 100 years ago and Meadows says his fish tunnel will incorporate the latest salmon transport technology.

"There'll be some large turbine fans which will push the fish along at a higher rate than they're used to but it's dark and they're not used to that level of light and low oxygen so they need to move quickly," Meadows said.

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