Tunnel Updates – June 2022

Three times per year, TBM: Tunnel Business Magazine recaps the status of major tunneling projects underway in the United States and Canada. Below is the Tunnel Update that appeared in the June 2022 issue of the print edition.

CALIFORNIA

Carson, Los Angeles and Rancho Palos Verdes

Joint Water Pollution Control Plant Effluent Outfall Tunnel
Dragados USA

NTP for this $630.5 million project for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts was issued April 8, 2019, with 1,953 working days to complete the work and an estimated completion date of mid-2027.
As part of the implementation of the Clearwater Program, the Sanitation Districts will construct a tunnel approximately 7 miles long and 21.5 feet in excavated diameter (18 feet in internal diameter) to convey disinfected, secondary-treated effluent from the Sanitation Districts’ Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) located in the City of Carson, California to an existing ocean discharge system at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro in the City of Los Angeles. The tunnel alignment will vary in depth from approximately 50-feet to 450-feet below the ground surface. The entire tunnel alignment will be below the groundwater table with pressures ranging from 1 to 9 bar. As part of the scope, a 14-foot diameter cast-in-place concrete connection will be constructed to convey the treated effluent from an existing force main to the proposed JWPCP Shaft. Other notable Project features include an approximately 60-foot diameter and 113-foot deep drop shaft, a junction structure and two valve structures at the JWPCP and a manifold structure at Royal Palms Beach.

Tunneling will go through two very distinct ground conditions. The first half of the tunnel will be through soft ground with depths up to 110 feet. The second half of the tunnel will be through hard rock with depths up to 450 feet where the tunnel will be subjected to intense ground squeezing conditions due to the overburden pressure.

The tunnel lining will consist of bolted and gasketed precast concrete segments. Tunneling will go through splays of the Palos Verdes Fault Zone where 16-foot diameter steel liner will be used within the 18-foot diameter concrete segments to accommodate displacement from seismic events at two locations. When in operation, the tunnel will be under hydrostatic pressure. In the first half of the alignment, internal pressure will exceed the external pressure and post-tensioning of the concrete segmental liner will be necessary. To offset the “hoop stress” developed from internal pressure, a post-tensioning system consisting of internal steel tendons along the circumference of the concrete liner was specified. This post tensioning design is unique and has only been used a few times in the world, but never before in North America. In the second half of the alignment, the hard rock around the tunnel will offset the internal pressure, and post-tensioning will not be required.

Work at the JWPCP Shaft Site started in the summer of 2019. Construction of the access shaft slurry wall excavation support system was completed in December 2019. Excavation of the shaft in dry and wet conditions, which was followed by shaft tremie slab construction and dewatering, was completed August 2020. Open cut construction of the 14-foot diameter cast-in-place concrete Connection A from the proposed Junction Structure No. 1 to the JWPCP Shaft was substantially completed in October 2020. Jet grouting activities for the tail tunnel, starter tunnel, and three safe havens were completed in May 2021. Excavation of the starter and tail tunnels was completed in May 2021. The Contractor is using a Herrenknecht slurry TBM, which arrived onsite in late 2020. Fabrication of test precast concrete segments at the Traylor Bros., Inc. Littlerock, California facility began in April 2021. Tunnel mining began in September 2021 and is anticipated to be completed by mid-2024. Multiple hyperbaric interventions for TBM cutterhead inspection and maintenance have been successfully completed to date. Approximately 2,100-feet of tunnel lining has been installed to date.

Lead Design Consultant: Parsons; Tunnel Design Consultant: McMillan Jacobs Associates; Tunnel Construction Management Consultant: Mott MacDonald; Listed Major Subcontractors for Dragados – Excavation and Structures: W.A. Rasic Construction Company, Inc.; Jet Grouting and Support of Excavation: Malcolm Drilling Company, Inc.

Key Project Personnel: Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts – Construction Management Section: Ignacio Murillo, Section Head; Russell Vakharia, Resident Engineer/Construction Manager; Sewer Design Section: Anthony Howard, Section Head; Oscar Morales, Supervising Engineer; Yoonkee Min, Senior Engineer. Parsons – Danson Kelii, Project Manager. McMillan Jacobs Associates – John Stolz, Lead Tunnel Design Consultant. Mott MacDonald – Daniel McMaster, Lead Tunnel Consultant. BabEng – Allen Jensson, Lead Tunnel Engineer. Dragados – John Kennedy, Vice President of Southern California Operations; Claudio Cimiotti, Project Manager; John Truong, Deputy Project Manager; Nicholas Karlin, Project Engineer.

Los Angeles

Regional Connector Transit Project
Regional Connector Constructors (Skanska-Traylor JV)

Reaching a major construction milestone for the Regional Connector project in April, Metro officially completed construction of all the track work, guideway systems and station platform areas for the Grand Av/Bunker Hill Station, paving the way for train and systems testing. The contractor has achieved one of the best safety record of all of Metro construction projects, with more than six million hours worked without any lost time due to injury or incident.

The Regional Connector Transit Project is a 1.9-mile underground light-rail extension that will connect the A Line (Blue), the E Line (Expo) and the L Line (Gold) in downtown Los Angeles and will include three new stations that include the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station at 1st Street/Central Avenue, the Historic Broadway Station at 2nd Street/Broadway and the Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill Station at 2nd Place/Hope Street.

Construction of Metro’s Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hills Station has been a complex undertaking due to the depth of the station, which is approximately 100 feet below street level — the deepest rail station in the agency’s entire rail system. More than 33,000 cubic yards of steel and concrete have been used to construct the station. More than 90,000 cubic yards of soil was excavated to build the station.

With track and guideway work now completed, Metro has begun train and systems testing in preparation for revenue operations, which is anticipated this Fall. Workers will now be concentrating on finishing the station’s plaza concourse and ancillary levels, testing remaining HVAC and fire/life safety systems, and completing station artwork, elevator and escalator installations.

Los Angeles

Westside Purple Line Extension Section 1
Skanska/Traylor/Shea JV

The Westside Purple Line Extension Project is a 9-mile long project that consists of three Sections. Section 1 is a 3.92-mile long subway alignment with three stations being constructed under Wilshire Boulevard in gassy ground and tar sands with prehistoric fossil deposits.

NTP for the $1.636 million design-build contract was issued on Jan. 12, 2015, with service expected in 2024. The twin Herrenknecht EPB TBMs have completed tunneling in 2024.

The scope of work includes 17,900 ft of twin-bore tunnel: Reach 1 is 9,600 lf between Wilshire/La Brea Station and Wilshire/Western TBM retrieval shaft; Reach 2 is 4,400 lf between Wilshire/La Brea and Wilshire/Fairfax Stations; and Reach 3 is 3,300 lf between Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega Stations. There is also 600 lf of tail track at Wilshire/La Cienega Station.

The tunnel is 18-ft, 10-in. in diameter with 12-in. thick precast concrete lining. Depth varies from 40 ft and 100 ft. The alignment includes three stations and the western retrieval shaft and 23 cross passages.

Tunnel Designer: PTG/CH2M; Construction Manager: WEST JV (Stantec/Jacobs Engineering/AECOM); Major Subcontractors – TBM Manufacturer: Herrenknecht; Precast: Traylor Precast; Support of Excavation/Piles: Condon Johnson; Jet Grouting: Malcolm Drilling; Geotechnical instrumentation: Group Delta; Dewatering: Moretrench; Standpipe: Link Nielsen.

Los Angeles

Westside Purple Line Extension Section 2
Tutor Perini/O&G

This is a $1.37 billion project for LA Metro that includes 2.6 miles of twin bore tunnel. Major construction began in spring 2019, and in January, the Herrenknecht TBMs completed digging from Century City to Wilshire/Rodeo, the approximate halfway point. Completion is expected in 2025.

Los Angeles

Westside Purple Line Extension Section 3
Frontier-Kemper/Tutor Perini JV

The $410 million project for LA Metro is a 2.6-mile extension from Century City to VA Hospital in Westwood. In contrast to previous recent Metro underground contracts, Section 3 splits out tunnel and stations contracts. The tunnels are being built by EPB TBM. Completion is expected by 2027.

Redwood City

Silicon Valley Clean Water Gravity Pipeline Project
Barnard Bessac Joint Venture (BBJV)

Construction NTP for this $206.7 million project for Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW) was issued in November 2018, with substantial completion targeted for May 2022, ahead of schedule.

The project includes 17,500 linear ft of tunnel with two independent tunnel drives and 4 shafts (2 Retrieval Shafts, 2 Tie-In Shafts). The tunnel diameter is 16.2-ft O.D. with depths ranging from 30-ft to 60-ft to tunnel crown. The geology is the Upper Layered Sediment layer and is comprised of medium to stiff clay with layers of sand and silty sand. BBJV crews used EPB tunneling methods, and recently completed installation of a second pass liner within the concrete tunnel using 10-ft and 11-ft FRP pipes.

The last section of FRP pipes were installed at the bottom of the 52-ft. deep, 58-ft. diameter Airport Access Shaft (AAS) which completed the tie-in of the 1.1-mile upstream pipeline section (10-ft dia) and the 2.2-mile downstream section pipeline section (11-ft dia). The FRP tie-in piping was encased in a layer of controlled low strength material (CLSM), which was completed in early May 2022 concluding the final activity ahead of Substantial Completion. Pending determination of a final punch list, Substantial Completion is targeted to be met several weeks earlier than required by contract. Remaining activities on the project include AAS shaft backfill, site restoration and acceptance and testing of the pipeline system.

Elsewhere on the project, the Bair Island Shaft (the upstream extent of the pipeline), the final fiberglass lamination of the air duct piece of the Bair Island FRP inlet structure was completed in mid-April. The air duct was the last of five pieces of the 47-ft tall Bair Island FRP drop structure which sits approximately 7-ft. above grade with the remaining 40-ft. buried underground in NSB material within the Bair Island Retrieval Shaft. All activities at the Bair Island site have been completed.

Approximately ¼-mi away from the AAS, the San Carlos Shaft work has also concluded. BBJV crews safely completed the installation of the FRP inlet structure at the end of April. The San Carlos inlet structure is composed of two halves (an upper half and a lower half), two FRP pipe stubs which connect to the existing sewer network, and an adit pipe ultimately connecting the inlet structure to the mainline pipeline system via a fiberglass wye junction. The inlet structure was installed within the San Carlos Shaft which primarily consisted of a secant pile SOE. The San Carlos shaft working space was very tight with shaft dimensions equal to 13-ft I.D. (oval-shaped), and a depth equal to 48-ft. The San Carlos site has been turned over to the Owner and demobilization is ongoing.

Other Major Parties Affiliated with the Project: Designer: Arup; Construction Manager: Tanner Pacific; Major Suppliers: Herrenknecht (TBM); Future Pipe Industries (FRP); Traylor Shea Precast AJV (Precast Concrete Tunnel Liner); Major Subcontractors: Malcolm Drilling (Slurry Wall SOE); Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring (SEM mining, pipe jacking, secant piles, un-manned shaft excavation); Blue Iron Construction (Sheet Pile SOE); PIGCO (Cellular Concrete).

Key Project Personnel: Project Managers: Jack Sucilsky, Leo Weiman-Benitez, Christelle Desmons. Project Superintendents: Mike Hanley, Matt Jackson, Ben Weldin. Project Engineer: Troy Gates. Safety Manager: Adam Rohlinger.

San Francisco

Wawona Area Stormwater Improvement and Vicente Street Water Main Replacement
KJ Woods Inc./McMillan Jacobs Assoc.

This $41 million project for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) stretches through multiple supervisory districts, residential neighborhoods, business corridors, and traffic thoroughfares. The existing tunnel begins at 20th Avenue and Vicente Street and extends approximately 1,900 ft east to the receiving shaft recently constructed at 14th Avenue and Vicente Street.

The primary objectives of the project are managing stormwater and reducing the risk of flooding at and around the 15th Avenue and Wawona Street area, a location that has been susceptible to flooding associated with moderate and heavy storms. In addition, the project will continue the water transmission main alignment from the 19th Avenue Combined City Project, and replace aging water distribution mains in various locations along Vicente Street. When completed this project will reduce the risk of flooding at 15th and Wawona by diverting some of the stormwater flow to a new large sewer pipe to be installed under Vicente Street, and increase the ability to capture and divert street runoff with new stormwater inlets around 15th Avenue and Wawona Street intersection.

For this project the 20-ft deep and 28-ft diameter caisson launching shaft will be constructed primarily in dune sands. The new sewer which is circular in shape, will be constructed primarily in the Colma and Franciscan Complex formations. A Herrenknecht micotunennling boring machine is the primary construction method for all underground trenchless construction.

The project is approximately 33% complete. Construction of the launch shaft at 20th Avenue and Vicente, and the receiving shaft at 14th Avenue and Vicente is complete. The tunnel boring machine has passed under 19th Avenue and has progressed eastward roughly 800 ft underground, with crews having installed over 65 sewer pipes in the newly constructed tunnel. They are now encountering a mixed bedrock layer of soil, which will slow down the rate of progress underground but is only anticipated to extend for two blocks. Tunneling activities are anticipated to complete in August 2022, with final completion of full range of project upgrades in early 2024.

Tunnel Design Consultant is McMillan Jacobs Associates, SFPUC Construction Management Bureau is the construction manager, and the main contractor for the work is KJ Woods Construction. Major coordination is ongoing with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Department of Public Works, and Pacific Gas & Electric.

Personnel: SFPUC – Project Managers: Saed Toloui, Suzanne Huang; Project Engineers: Kevin How, Calvin Huey; Resident Engineers: JT Ersnt, John Prete; Public Outreach: Chris Colwick, Vincent Mazzaferro; KJ Woods Construction – Project Manager: Cathal O’Riordan;

Tuolumne County

Mountain Tunnel Improvements Project
Michels Tunneling

The $139 million project for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is in the central Sierra Mountain Range near the town of Groveland in Tuolumne County. The existing tunnel begins at Early Intake Reservoir on the Tuolumne River and extends approximately 19 miles west to the Priest Reservoir, near the town of Groveland.

The scope of the work includes: existing tunnel interior repair and modification work within the 19 mile tunnel length which includes; concrete lining repairs, contact grouting, pressure grouting, approximately 5,000 lf of new concrete invert paving, demolition of existing bulkheads and installation of new bulkheads, bulkhead improvements and debris removal. Construction of new tunnel improvements which includes a new Flow Control Facility (FCF) which is comprised of a 55 ft diameter, 150-ft deep new shaft, bypass tunnels and connections with the existing tunnel; the construction of new portal, 1,000 ft long adit, tie-in of the adit to the existing tunnel, construction of a new access shaft with a new connecting adit, new siphon extension of about 300 ft with an inclined shaft connecting to the existing tunnel and installation of approximately 1,500 ft of steel pipe lining. Other work includes construction of permanent spoil fill sites, installation of a water filtration system during the tunnel shutdowns and water treatment plant for construction water discharge, road/slope stabilization for the adit access roads, various types of retaining walls, a micro pile supported concrete deck, environmental permit compliance and other site improvements and restoration.

The 150-ft deep and 55-ft internal diameter FCF shaft will be constructed primarily in a schist formation. The FCF bypass tunnels, which are horseshoe shape with varying dimensions, will also be constructed in schist. The 1,000-ft long horseshoe shape adit will constructed in both diorite and schist. The 100-ft deep and 17-ft internal diameter access shaft and bypass tunnel siphon extensions will be constructed in diorite. It is expected that drill and blast will be the construction method for all underground construction.

The objectives of the Mountain Tunnel Improvements are to rehabilitate the tunnel and to make improvements to extend the useful life of this asset for the next 100 years. This project will require five winter season tunnel outages of 60 to 100-day durations each in order to complete the in-tunnel repairs and other work inside the tunnel and to construct the tie-in connections between the existing tunnel and the new improvements. Final completion is expected by December 2026.

Lead Design Consultant is McMillen Jacobs Associates, SFPUC Construction Management Bureau is the construction manager, construction management and construction inspection provided by AECOM; Major coordination with Hetch Hetchy Water and Power, Ted Allen; Major Michels subcontractors include Apex Rockfall Mitigation, Kroner Environmental, Schrader Mechanical, Cody Builders Supply, Renesco Inc. and Mach8Bio

Personnel: SFPUC – Regional Project Manager: Randy Anderson; Project Engineer: Joseph Buitrago; Regional Construction Manager: Jerry Malone; Resident Engineer: Fredrick “Paco” Larsen; Public Outreach: Betsy Lauppe Rhodes; McMillen Jacobs and Associates – Project Manager: Jennifer Sketchley, Associate; Design Project Manager: Renee Fippin, Principal: Tunnel Engineer: Glenn Boyce, Principal; AECOM – Contract Manager: Steven Tidwell, Vice President; Lead Inspectors: Thomas (Bud) Degrio, Kevin Bolle, Mark Leonard, James Brown and Jon Wolfe; Safety Manager: Rick Cavil; Michels Tunneling – Project Manager: Ed Whitman; Project Engineer: David McCallum; Project Superintendent, Ron Klinghagen.

COLORADO

Denver

PAR 1232 Second Creek Interceptor
Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw Construction Corporation is currently performing work on the PAR 1232 Second Creek Interceptor project in Denver, CO. The wastewater interceptor will include a number of trenchless crossings; of which Bradshaw Construction Corporation will be installing eight trenchless crossings, totaling over 4,100 LF, by the microtunneling method. Tunnel crossings will range from 48” steel casing to 73.5” steel casing, with drive lengths reaching 1,500 LF on the longest crossing. FRP from 30” to 60” will be installed and backfilled once tunneling operations are completed. The tunnels will be installed out of steel sheeted shafts, installed by Lawrence Construction Company. The challenging project geology will consist of multiple mix face conditions with claystone overlaid by coarse and fine alluvium, underneath the water table. Tunnels will pass underneath roads, highways, UPRR and BNSF tracks. To date, Bradshaw Construction Corporation has successfully installed both steel casing and FRP carrier pipe on three of the eight drives, and is now working towards completing the 1500 LF crossing.

The project members include the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District (Owner), HDR Engineering, Inc. (Engineer), Garney Construction (CMAR), and Bradshaw Construction Corporation working as tunneling subcontractor.

Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

CONNECTICUT

Hartford

South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel
Kenny/Obayashi IV, JV

Kenny/Obayashi received NTP on this $279.4 million project for the Hartford Metropolitan District (MDC) on Aug. 1, 2016.

The tunnel geology includes red siltstone with basalt encountered at fault zones during TBM excavation. After TBM extraction, an Odor Control Building will be constructed at the Retrieval Shaft Site. Recent construction activities: Drill-and-Shoot of the Retrieval Shaft (RS) and completion of surface structures (RS), Pump Station Shaft CIP liner and installation of the suction header, and TBM production mining.
MDC announced on Jan. 6 that the TBM reached the arrival shaft.

Owner: MDC; Design Engineer(s): AECOM, Black & Veatch; Construction Manager: Jacobs Project Management Company. Subcontractors – Case Foundation Company, R.E.D. Technologies and Gelly Trucking, Freeman Companies, Zuvic, Carr & Associates.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Washington

North East Boundary Tunnel (NEBT)
Salini Impregilo Healy JV (SIH JV)

The $579.9 million Design & Build project for DC Water involves the design and construction of Division J of the DC Clean Rivers Project called North East Boundary Tunnel (NEBT). The project includes the construction of 26,700 ft of tunnel with 23 ft inner diameter from 60 to 140 ft below grade. The tunnel is excavated using an Herrenknecht EPB TBM (Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine). The first section of the NEBT is excavated in a clay soil and the second part of the tunnel is in a sandy layer. Mix face conditions were expected for most of the tunnel alignment. The project also includes the construction of 7 shafts, ranging from 20 feet to 55 ft diameter, and supported by unreinforced slurry walls or secant piles and lined using Cast in Place concrete. There are also 6 adits to be excavated using the Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) in ground previously improved through either jet grouting or ground freezing techniques. Finally, a 700 ft length of Diversion Sewer with 10 ft of internal finished diameter will be constructed using an EPB TBM in clay soil which it will be lined with HOBAS pipes installed using the pipe jacking tunneling method.

As of December 2021, 80% of the works were completed. The tunnel excavation was completed in April 2021, the TBM disassembly in June 2021. The tunnel cleanup operations have been completed and the tunnel segment final reparation works are ongoing. The excavation of all the seven drop shaft is already completed as well as the final concrete Cast In Place (CIP) liner. The construction of the hydraulic structures inside the shaft are ongoing in almost half of the project drop shafts. 66% of the Adit construction works have been completed while most of the final connections between adits and NEBT tunnel still need to be performed. The ground freezing system implemented for the excavation of one adit of the project is currently ongoing and the excavation activities will start as soon as the temperatures reach the designed values. Regarding the diversion facilities to be constructed on the surface (Near Surface Structures), the support of excavation system and the ground improvement have been fully completed while the excavation and the permanent structures construction are ongoing in most of the construction sites. The 10-ft diameter TBM arrived on site last June 2021 and started the excavation of the 700-ft Diversion Sewer in August 2021. The drive was completed at the end of October 2021 and a total of thirty-eight (38) HOBAS pipes 20’ long have been used to construct this tunnel. Final completion is expected by March 30, 2023.

Designer: Brierley Associates; Major Subcontractors: Treviicos, Corman Kokosing, Keller-North America, EnTech Engineering; TBM Manufacturer: Herrenknecht.

Personnel: Owner – DC Water Clean Rivers Project: Carlton Ray (Vice President), Jeff Peterson (Construction Manager); Designer – Brierley Associates: Jeremiah Jezersky (Design Manager); Contractor – Salini Impregilo Healy Joint Venture (SIH JV): Daniele Nebbia (Vice President of Tunneling Operations); Fabio Ciciotti (Project Director); Andrea Sesenna (Project Manager); Flaviano Solesin (Tunnel Construction Manager); Gianluca Pianezze (Sites Construction Manager); Pietro Banov (Design-Build Coordinator).

ILLINOIS

Villages of Bedford Park and McCook in Cook County IL

McCook Reservoir, Des Plaines Inflow Tunnel
Walsh Construction Company II, LLC

This $107.7 million project for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) comprises approximately 5,850 lf of tunnel, 20-ft concrete lined finished diameter, approximate tunnel depth of 280 ft, one 12-ft diameter construction shaft, and one 45-ft diameter gate shaft. The tunnel was excavated all through bedrock with the use of a drill & blast method. NTP was July 9, 2016, with estimated date of completion in Summer 2022.

The project is approximately 94% complete. Major milestones completed include excavation of construction and gate shaft, excavation and lining of the 20-ft diameter tunnel, and connection to Stage 1 of the McCook Reservoir with subsequent tunnel plug when the reservoir became live in 2017. In addition, the two 22 ft x 21 ft steel gates and hydraulic cylinders to control water within the tunnel when it becomes live have been delivered to the site and are currently installed. Gates are now operational and the contractor has made the connection into the existing live 33-ft tunnel on the north end as well as to the reservoir on the downstream end. The tunnel is currently live and fully operational. Miscellaneous mechanical, electrical and other punch list items remain open before final completion is approved.

Tunnel & Gate Designer: Black and Veatch Corporation, Walsh Construction Manager: Mark Fournier, MWRDGC Project Manager: Kevin Fitzpatrick, Mining Company in charge for excavation of Stage 1 of the McCook Reservoir was Vulcan Materials (Vulcan & Walsh needed to coordinate their work when the proposed tunnel was connecting into the reservoir). Major subcontractors were Linita Design & Manufacturing Group, Pagoda & Electric Construction Inc., Truck King Hauling, Terrell Materials Corporation, Atlantic Painting Company and Steppo Supply & Construction Inc.

Personnel: MWRDGC: Kevin Fitzpatrick (Design Project Manager), Patrick Jensen (Design Engineer), Carmen Scalise (Construction Project Manager), Tim Nolan (Resident Engineer). Black and Veatch: Faruk Oksuz (Project Director), Cary Hirner (Project Manager) and Mark White (Engineering Manager). Walsh: Mark Fournier (Project Manager), Erik Schneider (Technical Engineer).

INDIANA

Fort Wayne

Three Rivers Protection and Overflow Reduction Tunnel Project (3RPORT)
Salini Impregilo Lane JV

The $188 million Design-Bid-Build project for Fort Wayne City Utilities consists of approximately 24,500 LF of tunnel, 200 to 240 ft deep, excavated by a Herrenknecht slurry TBM, segmentally lined with a 16 ft finished inside diameter. There are three large diameter shafts, ranging from 29 to 69 ft diameter supported through the overburden with a slurry wall, with drill-and-blast excavation through rock. There are 13 small diameter drop and vent shafts, ranging from 2 to 8 ft, excavated by blind-bore drilling, and lined with ductile iron and centrifugally cast fiberglass reinforced polymer mortar pipe. Approximately 720 LF of adits will be driven using drill-and-blast method to connect the TBM tunnel to the drop and vent shafts. The TBM tunnel and adits will be excavated primarily through limestone of the Wabash Formation with anticipated high groundwater inflow in the range of 5,000 gpm to 10,000 gpm at 6.5 bar pressure. TBM excavation is completed. Final completion is expected in May 2023.

Tunnel Designer: Black & Veatch; Construction Manager: Jacobs; Major Subcontractors: CSI Tunnel Systems, Keller – North America, Hardman Construction, Bunn Inc., F.A. Wilhelm Construction, Service Electric; TBM Manufacturer: Herrenknecht.

Personnel: Owner / City of Fort Wayne: Mike Kiester (Manager, City Utilities Engineering); Tunnel Designer / Black & Veatch: Leo Gentile (Senior Project Manager), Matthew Pierce (Project Manager); Construction Manager / Jacobs: Todd Webster (Construction Contract Manager); Contractor / Salini Impregilo Lane JV: Daniele Nebbia (Vice President of Tunneling Operations), Lance Waddell (Project Manager).

Indianapolis

White River Tunnel, Lower Pogues Run Tunnel
Shea-Kiewit JV

The White River Tunnel is a 30,600-ft, 20-ft, 2-in diameter bored tunnel with an 18-ft finished concrete lining (approximately 250 ft deep). There are two bifurcations in the final alignment and seven CSO connecting structures/deaeration chambers and adits. The Lower Pogues Run Tunnel is a 10,200-ft, 20-ft, 2-in bored tunnel with an 18-ft finished concrete lining, which bifurcates from the White River Tunnel alignment, and includes two CSO connecting structures/deaeration chambers and adits. The work is for Citizens Energy Group’s DigIndy project, which is a CSO reduction program including six deep rock tunnels totaling over 28 miles.

Final preparations are underway to commission both tunnels. Testing of mechanical equipment and instrumentation at each of the drop shaft sites is complete, as is final grouting of the drop and vent shafts. Contact grouting is ongoing within the mainline tunnels. In addition, the contractor finished installing a fiber optic network within the tunnel that connects each of the drop shaft sites to both of Citizens’ advanced wastewater treatment plants. Plant personnel can remotely monitor conditions in the tunnel system and operate mechanical gates at each of the drop shaft sites to control tunnel filling.

Key Project Personnel – Construction PM: Christian Heinz, P.E.; Assistant Project Manager/ Project Engineer: Percy Townsend; Safety Manager: Kyle Shickles; Field Engineers: Eric Haacke, Zack Heinrich, Kendall Gadd, Chris Monahan, Max Engen. Inspection PM: Sam Cain, P.E. (AECOM). Owner: Citizens Energy Group – Manager, DigIndy Capital Program: Mike Miller, P.E.; Tunnel Construction Supervisor: John Morgan.

Indianapolis

Fall Creek Tunnel
Shea-Kiewit JV

The Fall Creek Tunnel is a 20,244-ft, 20-ft, 2-in diameter bored tunnel with an 18-ft finished concrete lining (approximately 250 ft deep). There are ten CSO connecting structures/deaeration chambers and adits. The work is for Citizens Energy Group’s DigIndy project, which is a CSO reduction program including six deep rock tunnels totaling over 28 miles.

Mining commenced in September 2019 and was completed on April 1, 2020. The Fall Creek Tunnel has nine adits totaling over 5,200 feet and adit excavation is 100% complete. All drop and vent shaft excavation is complete, and lining is ongoing. Tunnel concrete lining operations are also ongoing, and the retrieval shaft concrete lining is 100% complete. Based on the terms of a federal consent decree, the Fall Creek Tunnel must be operational by the end of 2025.

Key Project Personnel – Construction PM: Christian Heinz, P.E.; Assistant Project Manager/ Project Engineer: Percy Townsend; Safety Manager: Kyle Shickles; Field Engineers: Eric Haacke, Zack Heinrich, Kendall Gadd, Chris Monahan, Max Engen. Inspection PM: Sam Cain, P.E. (AECOM). Owner: Citizens Energy Group – Manager, DigIndy Capital Program: Mike Miller, P.E.; Tunnel Construction Supervisor: John Morgan.

Indianapolis

Pleasant Run Tunnel
Shea-Kiewit JV

The Pleasant Run Tunnel is a 41,472-ft, 20-ft, 2-in diameter bored tunnel with an 18-ft finished concrete lining (approximately 250 ft deep). There are eight CSO connecting structures/deaeration chambers and adits. The work is for Citizens Energy Group’s DigIndy project, which is a CSO reduction program including six deep rock tunnels totaling over 28 miles.

Mining commenced in May 2021, and in November 2021 the TBM mined through the 30-foot diameter intermediate shaft approximately 20,000 feet into the alignment. Due to the number of curves in the tunnel alignment, tunneling and muck handling operations were relocated to the intermediate shaft in order to maximize efficiency of the horizontal conveyor belt system. TBM mining restarted in March 2022, and as of May 2022 approximately 30,000 feet of the tunnel has been mined. Once complete, the entire 28-mile DigIndy system will have utilized a single Robbins main beam TBM. In addition to 28 miles of hard rock mining, the TBM will have been backed up over nine miles allowing the elimination of multiple launch and retrieval shafts. Based on the terms of a federal consent decree, the Pleasant Run Tunnel must be operational by the end of 2025.

Key Project Personnel – Construction PM: Christian Heinz, P.E.; Assistant Project Manager/ Project Engineer: Percy Townsend; Safety Manager: Kyle Shickles; Field Engineers: Eric Haacke, Zack Heinrich, Kendall Gadd, Chris Monahan, Max Engen. Inspection PM: Sam Cain, P.E. (AECOM). Owner: Citizens Energy Group – Manager, DigIndy Capital Program: Mike Miller, P.E.; Tunnel Construction Supervisor: John Morgan.

KENTUCKY

Louisville

Ohio River Tunnel
Shea-Traylor JV

The Ohio River Tunnel for the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) was given NTP on Nov. 8, 2017, and is scheduled to reach Final Completion on August 01, 2022. The tunnel length is 21,300 ft; Diameter: 22 ft excavated; 20 ft finished; Tunnel depth – 200 ft; Number of drop shafts – 6, with two larger 40-ft finished diameter shafts for the TBM Working Shaft and Tunnel Pump Station Shaft. Ground conditions include limestone and dolomite rock with interbedded shale formations, potential fault zones, and potential natural gas zones in the rock.

TBM excavation of the entire tunnel was completed, with a hole-through date of Sept. 22, 2020. Gas was encountered only once during tunnel excavation. No groundwater inflow nor any fault zones were encountered during tunnel excavation. Most of the tunnel concrete lining was completed February 2022, with minor sections near the Working Shaft and Retrieval Shaft being lined in the subsequent month.
Construction of the Working Shaft and five out of the six drop shafts are complete. The Pump Station shaft was completed as part of another contract with MSD. S-T JV is currently working on wrapping up construction of the Retrieval Shaft/Drop Shaft DS06. All underground work is complete and S-T JV placed the concrete cap over the Working Shaft on May 16, 2022. For surface structures: Drop Shaft DS03 is the only one that is yet to be completed. Site restoration of the Working Shaft, Drop Shaft DS03, Drop Shaft DS04, and Drop shaft DS06 sites remain to be completed.

MISSOURI

St. Louis

Jefferson Barracks Tunnel
SAK Construction, LLC

NTP for this $63.3 million project for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District was issued March 1, 2017; completion is scheduled for late 2023 to early 2024. The project includes approximately 17,800 lf of TBM bored tunnel, and installation of a 7-ft diameter fiberglass reinforced polymer mortar carrier pipe and fiber optic conduits in the tunnel.

The tunnel is being excavated through limestone bedrock at depths ranging from 140 to 215 ft below the ground surface. Construction is by a main beam TBM launched from an 88-ft diameter shaft which will serve as the location for a pump station to be constructed under a separate contract. A pre-excavation grouting program was conducted at the launch shaft to minimize inflow from any karstic features that could have been encountered during shaft excavation. The TBM will be removed via a 22-ft diameter shaft at the upstream terminus of the tunnel. Fourteen bored shafts for drop pipes, vent pipes, and fiber optic conduits were also drilled along the tunnel alignment from the surface to the tunnel depth and passed through karstic zones above the tunnel alignment.

In May 2019, a karst feature was encountered which caused tunneling work to be suspended after mining about 7,100 ft of tunnel with the 11-ft diameter TBM. After additional investigations, construction of a recovery shaft about 205-ft deep and 200 ft in front of the TBM began in July 2020, and the TBM was recovered in late July 2021.

A larger, 13.5-ft diameter TBM with the capability of probing and grouting through its face was refurbished by Robbins and launched from the recovery shaft in March 2022. About 47% of the tunnel’s length has been excavated. The contractor is also constructing intake structures and pouring the concrete lining for the termination shaft.

Tunnel Designer: Jacobs Engineering Group; Construction Manager: Shannon & Wilson. Major Construction Subcontractors: Case Foundation (shafts), ACT (pre-excavation grouting), Williams Tunneling (tunnel construction and carrier pipe installation), Goodwin Brothers Construction (intake construction). TBM Refurbishment: Robbins.

Key Project Personnel: Patricia Pride, Project Manager, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District; Kent Kotthoff, CM Program Manager, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District; Ray Scherrer, Division Inspector, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. William Haag, Design Project Manager, Jacobs Engineering Group; Andrew Bursey, Lead Tunnel Designer, Jacobs Engineering Group; Tom Abkemeier, CM Project Manager, Shannon & Wilson, Inc.; David Donovan, Resident Project Representative, Shannon & Wilson, Inc. Dan Swidrak, Project Manager, SAK Construction; Terry Beesley, General Project Supt.; Jack Bragg, Project Superintendent, SAK Construction; Jack Lynch, Tunnel Division Safety Manager, SAK Construction; Zach Meyer, Safety Manager, SAK Construction.

St. Louis

Lower Meramec Tunnel (11746)
SAK Construction LLC

This is a $174 million project for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) comprising 35,903 ft (6.8 miles) of 11-ft excavated diameter, 8-ft inside diameter, 78 to 286 ft deep sanitary sewer tunnel which is expected to be mined utilizing a TBM entirely within limestone, shale and dolomite rock with two required construction shafts and six drop structures. The project is approximately 14% complete. The Contractor has completed drilling the drop and vent shafts, installed secant piles at the termination TBM retrieval shaft and completed excavation of the termination shaft along with the tail and starter tunnels. The Contractor has completed installation of the upper portion of the concrete lining at the starter shaft.
This project is an extension of the previously constructed Baumgartner Tunnel Project which was 20,200 ft long with an excavated 12.5-ft diameter. Bedrock conditions anticipated to be encountered consist of the Warsaw Formation and the Burlington-Keokuk Limestone. The Warsaw Formation is composed primarily of limestone and shale with small amounts of chert whereas the Burlington-Keokuk Limestone includes limestone and abrasive chert which, in places, composes up to 40% to 60% of the rock mass.

Tunnel Design: WSP (subconsultant to HDR Engineering, Inc.). Construction Manager: Black & Veatch.

Key Project Personnel: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District – Design Project Manager: Jerry Jung; Construction Project Manager: Ray Scherrer. Design Project Manager: Doug Hickey, HDR. Tunnel Design Engineer: Everett Litton, WSP. Construction Manager: John Deeken, Black & Veatch. SAK – Project Manager; Brent Duncan. Project Engineer; Spencer Miller. Project Controls; Tom O’Sullivan. Tunnel Division Safety Manager; Jack Lynch. Safety Manager; Cedric Bransford. General Project Supt.; Terry Beesley. Project Superintendent; Shayne Peck.

OHIO

Cleveland

Shoreline Storage Tunnel
McNally/Kiewit SST JV

The Shoreline Storage Tunnel, a $201.58 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, will enable the District to meet specific combined sewer overflow (CSO) control requirements of Control Measure 7 as identified in Appendix l of the Consent Decree. When constructed and operating with the future Shoreline Consolidation Sewer project, the Shoreline Tunnel System will reduce CSO by an estimated 350 million gallons annually from 12 permitted CSO locations that are direct tributaries to Lake Erie. NTP was issued on July 19, 2021, with a duration of 1,770 days.

The project includes the construction of the following:

• 14,100 LF 23-ft finished diameter tunnel
• Three (3) shafts and gate control structures
• 70 LF 6.5-ft finished diameter dewatering tunnel
• Consolidation sewers, flow diversion structures, regulator modifications

This is the Sewer District’s first large diameter soft ground tunnel.

A related project, the Shoreline Consolidation Sewer, is 5,100 LF of 6-ft diameter soft ground tunnel to connect to upstream end of Shoreline Storage Tunnel (Kokosing Industrial, Inc. is prime contractor).
Design: McMillen Jacobs Associates. TBM Manufacturer: Herrenknecht. Anticipated Subcontractors: Nicholson Construction, Mersino Dewatering, Karma Materials, Northstar Contracting, 330 Williams Landscaping LLC, 7NT Enterprises LLC, Valley City Supply, Mack Concrete, Chieftain Trucking & Excavating, DiGioia Suburban Excavating LLC, Petty Group LLC, Cook Paving & Construction Co. Inc., Marra Service Inc., VIP Electric, Great Lakes Pipeline Services, Mars Electric Company Inc.

Cleveland

Westerly Storage Tunnel
Jay Dee Obayashi JV

Jay Dee Obayashi JV is building this $135 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) as part of the Project Clean Lake CSO abatement program. It includes 2 miles of 25-ft finished diameter tunnel, approximately 200 to 250 ft deep.

Tunneling was completed in January 2021. The Westerly Storage Tunnel will be online/activated when the Westerly Tunnel Dewatering Pump Station is complete in 2023.

Tunnel Designer: Stantec Mott MacDonald Westerly JV; Construction Manager: Owner managed (NEORSD); Major Subcontractors: DiGioia-Suburban Excavating (open cut and misc. site work), Nicholson Construction Company (Shaft SOE), Marra Services Inc. (shaft excavation at two sites), Northstar Contracting Inc (concrete structures); TBM Manufacturer: Lovsuns.

RHODE ISLAND

Pawtucket/East Providence

Pawtucket Tunnel
Bouygues-Barletta JV

The Narragansett Bay Commission is building the third and final phase of its Combined Sewer Overflow Program. Phase III includes the Pawtucket Tunnel, NBC’s second CSO storage tunnel.

The $245 million Pawtucket Tunnel will be approximately 11,600 ft long, 30 ft in diameter and located in bedrock about 200 ft below the ground surface. The project includes the launch and recovery shafts (which will become permanent access shafts), four drop shafts with connecting adits at existing outfall locations, and an underground shaft- or cavern-style tunnel pump station.

The launch shaft and tunnel pump station will be located at NBC’s Bucklin Point Wastewater Treatment Facility in East Providence. The alignment will be parallel to the Seekonk River and Blackstone River, and end near the border of Pawtucket and Central Falls, Rhode Island. An 8,800-ft long, 10-ft diameter conveyance tunnel, which will connect to the Pawtucket Tunnel, is planned to begin after the Pawtucket Tunnel is completed. The program/construction manager for Phase III is Stantec and its teaming partner Pare Corporation. Completion is expected by 2027.

TEXAS

Dallas

Mill Creek/Peaks Branch/State Thomas Drainage Relief Tunnel
Southland/Mole (SMJV)

The $206.7 million Mill Creek/Peaks Branch/State Thomas Drainage Relief Tunnel Project for the City of Dallas involves 26,385 lf of 32-ft, 6-in. excavated diameter tunnel (30-ft ID) and seven shafts ranging from 120 to 200 vf. Tunneling will occur primarily in Austin Chalk with excavation via Main Beam TBM and Roadheader.

The unique aspect of this project is that the contractor converted the TBM diameter beginning in January 2021, which took 3-4 months to complete, going from 11.6 m to 9.9 m. As of January, 19,500 ft of 26,385 lf of tunnel had been complete.

Owner: City of Dallas; Lead Designer: HALFF; Tunnel Designer: COWI; CM: Black and Veatch; TBM Manufacturer: Robbins; Subcontractor: Oscar Renda Constructing Inc.

Houston

WHCRWA Surface Water Supply Project C1 & C2
Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw Construction Corporation recently began work on Section C1 of the Surface Water Supply Project for West Harris County Regional Water Authority in Houston. This phase of the water transmission line will include two microtunnel crossings totaling 1,020’ (380’ & 625’). 99.5” OD steel casing will be jacked behind a RASA MTBM out of 36’ outside diameter liner plate shafts, roughly 55’ deep. Bradshaw Construction Corporation is currently working on the 625’ crossing underneath Keith Harrow Boulevard. The crossing passes underneath of the roadway, through sand transitioning into lean clay and caliche, beneath the water table. Upon completion of this crossing, Bradshaw Construction Corporation will then install 380’ underneath Bear Creek, through lean clay with sand layers, also beneath the water table. The project members include WHCRWA (Owner), Freese & Nichols, Inc. (Engineer), Brierley Associates (Engineer), SJ Louis Construction of Texas (GC), and Bradshaw Construction Corporation working as tunneling subcontractor.

Following construction of the C1 crossings, Bradshaw is subcontracted with Harper Brothers Construction (GC) to perform three microtunnel crossings on the C2 phase of the project. These crossings will total 830’ (270’, 380’ & 180’), again with 99.5” OD casing jacked behind the RASA MTBM. These crossings will pass underneath three waterways, through lean clay and sand layers under the water table. The tunnels will again be launched and recovered in liner plate shafts.

Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

New Braunfels

SWTP Discharge Line
Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw Construction Corporation will begin work later this year on the SWTP Discharge Line Project for New Braunfels Utilities in New Braunfels, TX. This discharge line will include one microtunnel crossing with 48” RCP totaling 413’, jacked out of a 24’ launch shaft. The crossing will be constructed almost entirely on a 620’ radius vertical curve, wherein VMT guidance technology and JackControl hydraulic joints will be utilized. The crossing passes underneath the Guadalupe River, through lean clay, claystone, and clayey-gravel beneath the water table. The project members include, New Braunfels Utilities (Owner), Plummer Associates Inc. (Engineer), Pesado Construction (GC), and Bradshaw Construction Corporation working as the tunneling subcontractor.

Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

VIRGINIA

Alexandria

RiverRenew Tunnel
Traylor-Shea

The RiverRenew Tunnel Project in Alexandria, Virginia, reached another major milestone as the tunnel boring machine (TBM) achieved completion of the factory acceptance test on April 29, 2022.

The test comes at the end of the machine design and fabrication effort by Herrenknecht in Schwanau, Germany. Engineers and mechanics from the RiverRenew team traveled to Germany to rigorously examine and test every component of the machine, demonstrate that all systems function as designed, and make any final necessary adjustments while the machine is still at the factory.

The TBM will now be disassembled and prepared for her journey across the Atlantic to Alexandria and is set to arrive in late June.

The RiverRenew Tunnel System Project includes a 2-mile-long, 12-ft-wide tunnel, shafts, and other sewer infrastructure that will help prevent about 130 million gallons of sewage from polluting the Potomac River, Hunting Creek, and Hooffs Run each year. Traylor-Shea was awarded a $454.4 million contract to complete the final design and construct the Tunnel System Project. The Traylor-Shea design-build team consists of Traylor Bros, Inc., and J.F. Shea Co., a joint venture, with support from Jacobs Engineering and Corman Kokosing Construction Co.

WASHINGTON

Seattle

Ship Canal Water Quality Project
The Lane Construction Company

The $254.9 million Ship Canal Water Quality Project (SCWQP) for Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) comprises 13,939 lf of 18-ft, 10-in. ID segmentally lined tunnel using a pressurized face TBM. Tunnel depth ranges from 35 to 85 ft. The project also includes conveyance pipe casing under the Ship Canal installed via a curved microtunnel drive, 646 lf and 94-in. diameter. The TBM was scheduled to undergo commissioning as of December 2021.

NTP was issued De. 26, 2019. Completion is expected by July 19, 2023.

Tunnel Designer: McMillen Jacobs Associates; Construction Manager: Jacobs Engineering; TBM Manufacturer: Herrenknecht. Major Subcontractors: Shaft Construction – Malcolm Drilling Co.; Microtunnelling – Northwest Boring Co. Inc..; Mechanical and Concrete Structures – Prospect Construction Inc.; Electrical – Chau Electric; Trucking – Grady Excavating Inc.; Segments: CSI.

CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Kemano

Kemano T2 Tunnel Project – Upstream Works
Barnard Constructors of Canada, LP

Construction for the 16-km-long KT2, located 74 km southwest of Kitimat, BC, began in the early 1990s. The project is currently in its final phase, and involves excavation of 7.6 km of new tunnel and refurbishment of an 8.4 km portion of the second tunnel that was constructed in the 1990s. In July2020, Barnard Constructors of Canada, LP was awarded the Upstream Works portion of the Kemano T2Tunnel Project to construct the remaining approximately 4 km of the 7.6 km new tunnel. The tunnel is being excavated by a 6.56-m diameter Herrenknecht single-shield hard rock TBM and includes installation of precast concrete tunnel lining.

On March 30, 2022, the Kemano T2 Upstream Works Project achieved Final Completion. The contractor thanks the Rio Tinto (owner), Hatch (engineer), the Cheslatta Carrier Nation, Pioneer Rail, Herrenknecht, and all its subcontractors for helping to make this project safe and successful!
Personnel: Owner: Rio Tinto: Alex Jones – Project Manager, Gregory “Alf” Garnett – Underground Area Manager. EPCM: Hatch: Riley McMillan – Lead Field Engineer, Luis Corgo – Deputy Underground Area Manager, Shawn Tucker – Deputy Underground Area Manager, Daniel Jezek – Lead Underground Engineer and Engineer of Record, Gary Kramer – Engineer of Record. Barnard: Project Managers: Jimmy McGauley, Ryan Eitutis; General Superintendents – Patrick Finn, Tom McDowell. Lead Engineers: Matthew Whittle, Michael Zenker. Construction Superintendents – Matthew Ulizio, Ross McLean, Craig Arnes, Mike Gilbertson, Govar Hayder, Chad MacDonnell, Maurizio Matta. Field Engineers – Brett Campbell, Michael Delaney, Guillermo Charles-Barrera, Michael Karl, Josh Richard, Andrew Rafuse, John Doerr, Brent Chalker.

North Vancouver

Second Narrows Water Supply Tunnel, Burrard Inlet Crossing
Traylor-Aecon General Partnership

The Second Narrows Water Supply Tunnel is a $286 million project for the Greater Vancouver Water District (Metro Vancouver) that will improve reliability and increase its capacity to deliver drinking water throughout the Vancouver area. Notice to Proceed was issued January 15, 2019, and final completion is expected in fall 2023.

The project consists of two shafts (18mØ x 68m and 10mØ x 110m) on either side of the Burrard inlet that are connected by 1,100 meters of 5.8m ID, 6.7m excavated diameter segmentally lined tunnel that was constructed with a mix shield TBM at face pressure up to 7 bar with allowance for hyperbaric interventions via saturation diving. Ground improvement includes a safe haven constructed using ground freezing 425 meters into the drive. Three permanent water mains (2 @ 2.438m, 1 @ 1.524 m) will be installed within the tunnel, up both shafts and into large underground valve chambers atop each shaft.

The TBM holed through at the South shaft in September 2021 and machine retrieval was complete by November 2021. Tunnel pipe installation and welding were complete in early May 2022. Tunnel backfill grouting and pipe lining repair will be performed in the summer of 2022.

Excavation the south valve chamber is complete and the concrete work is well underway with final mechanical installation not begin in Q2 2022. North valve chamber pre clearing is complete and sheet pile installation will be complete in June 2022. Excavation of the north valve chamber and tremie concrete placement in that area will be complete in fall 2022.

Major Subcontractors: Herrenknecht (TBM manufacturer); Schauenburg (slurry treatment plant provider); Malcolm-Petrifond JV (slurry wall); Keller North America (ground freezing); Ballard Marine Construction (hyperbaric services); Northwest Pipe (pipe supplier); MSE Precast (precast segment supplier); Jewel Holdings Ltd. (pipe welding and lining repair); Henry Foundation Drilling (valve chamber shoring); Southwest Contracting Ltd. (civil works)

Personnel: Owner: Metro Vancouver (PM: Mark Qian); Tunnel Designer: McMillen Jacobs (Andrew McGlenn); Construction Manager: Mott MacDonald/Jacobs (CM: Patrick Hamlin, DCM: Ken Rosenberg); Contractor: Matt Burdick, Joe Waller, Erica Frederickson, Brian McInnes.

ONTARIO

Ottawa

Stage 2 LRT Project – O-Train South Extension Project
TransitNEXT

The $1.6 billion Stage 2 Trillium Line extension is being built by TransitNEXT, a wholly owned subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, for the City of Ottawa.

The Dows Lake Tunnel is a critical piece of infrastructure along the Trillium Line alignment. Originally built and owned by Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), it opened for operation in 1964 as a rail tunnel to accommodate freight trains. The tunnel was converted for use by OC Transpo in 2001 for the O-Train.
The length of the tunnel is 578 m with 23 reinforced concrete box segments separated by expansion joints. The height of the tunnel is approximately 6.7 m from the top of the rail. The width of the tunnel is approximately 5.1 m.

Rehabilitation of the Dow’s Lake Tunnel is nearing completion as crews have concluded waterproofing of tunnel expansion joints, concrete repair, and additional steel reinforcement. Work is currently underway to upgrade the drainage system and modernize the tunnel ventilation system, trackwork, standpipe system, communication systems, and emergency walkway to align with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) -130 standards. TransitNEXT has completed the installation of 18 jet fans and is advancing the tunnel for track installation.

Tunnel work is estimated to be completed in the fall of 2022.

Ottawa

Stage 2 LRT Project – O-Train East and West Extension Project
East-West Connectors (EWC)

The Stage 2 Confederation Line east and west extensions project is a $2.57 billion (CAD) design-build-finance project for the City of Ottawa being built by East-West Connectors (EWC), joint venture comprised of Kiewit, Eurovia and VINCI (KEV).

The west extension includes two cut-and-cover tunnels: The 3-km Parkway Tunnel will travel between Dominion Station and Lincoln Fields Station traveling underneath the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, Richmond Road and Byron Linear Park; the 270-m Connaught Tunnel will be a part of the link connecting Lincoln Fields Station with Queensview Station by traveling underneath Connaught Avenue and connecting with the Pinecrest trench.

Construction of the Parkway Tunnel began in 2020. Excavation began at the top surface level, and support walls are being installed as the tunnel gets deeper. Once excavation and construction of the concrete tunnel structure is complete, localized backfill and restoration of the surface will begin.

As of early May 2022, excavation of the Parkway tunnel is progressing well. Approximately 220,750 cubic meters or 65% of the total quantity (including soil & rock), has been excavated, and 85% of the pile drilling has been completed, as well as 100% of slurry wall installed along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. Support of excavation (SOE) piles is 100% complete at Pinecrest/Connaught.

The Parkway tunnel will travel under federally owned lands and a City of Ottawa park in order to preserve recreational opportunities and community linkages. When construction is complete on the Parkway tunnel, Byron Linear Park will be enhanced to include more trees, less pavement, more public art, and additional plaza space for local events. The Connaught Tunnel will travel under a residential neighborhood.

Excavation is facilitated by the various use of SOE, depending on the ground conditions encountered. Types of SOE include slurry walls, secant pile walls and soldier piling and lagging.

The estimated date of completion is 2025.

Design engineering services: Canada and Hatch Ltd.

Personnel: Chris Loeffler, Senior Vice President and Project Director, Kiewit Infrastructure Corporation; Gwyon Nelson, Project Director, Kiewit Eurovia Vinci.