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Hooray! Bertha is done digging under downtown Seattle! We’re just a few years away from the grand opening of the new Seattle tunnel that will replace the beleaguered Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Before Bertha: The mysteries of Battery Street

But what are we going to call the new roadway?

As many people know, we鈥檙e big on naming bridges and tunnels around here, but we鈥檙e not too big on actually using those names. Interstate 90 crosses Lake Washington eastbound on the Lacey V. Murrow Bridge. The westbound lanes are carried by the . The State Route 520 鈥淓vergreen Point Floating Bridge鈥� is also named for . State Route 99 crosses high above Lake Union on the George Washington Memorial Bridge (better known as the Aurora Bridge).

For the new tunnel, there are plenty of obvious choices for tongue-in-cheek namesakes. As , we鈥檝e had four Seattle mayors and three Washington governors in office since it became clear in 2001 that the viaduct had to be replaced.

Here, then, in roughly chronological order, are some less obvious choices. Just keep in mind that no matter who it鈥檚 eventually named for, we鈥檒l all still probably just call it 鈥渢he tunnel.鈥�

If you have other suggestions, please share in the comments.

The Suquamish Tunnel or Duwamish Tunnel

was a leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes. is recognized by the federal government, while is still seeking recognition. Natives, of course, were here for thousands of years before settlers arrived. are already named for tribes, but maybe it鈥檚 time to think even bigger.

The Yesler Tunnel

invented the Seattle waterfront as an economic and cultural force when he built his mill complex at the foot of what鈥檚 now Yesler Way, and he also served as mayor. And for a cute nickname, radio and TV traffic reporters could call it 鈥淭he Hank.鈥�

The Phelps Tunnel

was the first person to sketch the Seattle waterfront during the 鈥淚ndian War鈥� of 1855-1856. Since the tunnel opens up the waterfront again, maybe we should honor the guy who created the original lasting image of Seattle鈥檚 maritime front porch.

The Thomson Tunnel

was the City Engineer for the City of Seattle for decades and is one of our most prolific designers and builders of infrastructure. He already was almost honored by an expressway (remember those 鈥渞amps to nowhere鈥� along 520? I mean, along the Rosellini?), so maybe this engineering marvel gives us another chance to properly honor R.H. Thomson.

The Moran Tunnel

was one of the proprietors of the waterfront-changing Moran Brothers Shipyard and was mayor during the Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889. He鈥檚 credited with helping get the city quickly back on its feet.

The Okada Tunnel

Seattle author John Okada was swept up by President Roosevelt鈥檚 Executive Order 9066 and later wrote the classic novel of wartime Japanese-American incarceration, The Seattle waterfront was scene of some of the most heartbreaking moments of Japanese-Americans being shipped away to internment camps.

The Thiry Tunnel

(pronounced like 鈥渢heory鈥�) has his fingerprints all over so many great Northwest projects, including Key Arena. Also, back in the late 1940s, Thiry was way ahead of his time when he proposed scrapping plans for the viaduct and building a tunnel instead. If only we鈥檇 listened to him 70 years ago!

The Carlson Tunnel

role in the success of the 1962 Seattle World鈥檚 Fair — arguably the single most positive event in the city鈥檚 history — has never been properly and visibly honored. The tunnel鈥檚 north portal is so close and convenient to Seattle Center, why not name if for Carlson? If the route ends up being a time-saver, it could be nicknamed the 鈥淔ast Eddie.鈥�

The Meany Tunnel

is a giant among Pacific Northwest historians and civic boosters. How cool would that be to have a huge piece of local infrastructure named for a historian? Come on, Tacoma already did it for .

The Brainerd Tunnel

Seattle Chamber of Commerce marketing genius did more than just about anybody to make the Klondike Gold Rush pay off for Seattle merchants (who sold gear to all those aspiring miners — a much surer way to strike it rich). And it all began when the S.S. Portland docked, you guessed it, along the waterfront.

The Bertha Tunnel

Long-ago already had the unglamorous 鈥渂oring machine鈥� named in her honor. Why not keep the 鈥淏ertha鈥� moniker around for the tunnel, too?

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