Major wastewater infrastructure investment continues across the U.S. as utilities and regional authorities pursue long-term compliance projects aimed at reducing sewer overflows and modernizing aging underground systems.
Steel City Tunnel Partners, a joint venture between Brayman Construction Corp. and The Lane Construction Corp., has been awarded a $1 billion contract to construct the Ohio River Tunnel for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority in Pennsylvania.
The Ohio River Tunnel is a central component of ALCOSAN’s Clean Water Plan, a multibillion-dollar regional infrastructure program focused on improving water quality and reducing combined sewer overflows throughout the Pittsburgh area.
The project includes approximately 4.9 miles of deep tunnel construction along with multiple shafts, regulator structures and near-surface support facilities designed to capture and convey wet weather sewer flows for treatment.
Once operational, the tunnel system is expected to reduce combined sewer overflows into regional waterways by approximately 7 billion gallons per year.
Construction activities are scheduled to begin later this year. The tunnel is the first of three major deep tunnel segments planned under ALCOSAN’s Regional Tunnel System program.
The Lane Construction Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of Webuild Group, will lead project management and primary tunneling operations. Brayman Construction will oversee shaft construction and key heavy civil components tied to foundations and structural work.
The project combines the underground construction experience of both joint venture partners across tunneling, geotechnical and heavy civil infrastructure disciplines.
Lane has delivered multiple large-scale underground infrastructure projects nationwide, including wastewater tunnel systems in Washington, D.C., Washington state and New Jersey. Brayman brings regional experience in foundation construction, lock and dam work, bridge structures and underground utility infrastructure.
Brayman has also previously completed near-surface facility work associated with ALCOSAN programs in the Pittsburgh region and has participated in major underground infrastructure projects including work on the Potomac River Tunnel system in Washington, D.C.
The project is expected to require extensive coordination involving deep excavation, shaft construction, tunnel boring operations and long-term environmental compliance measures.
Municipal wastewater agencies continue advancing major capital improvement programs as federal and state environmental regulations drive investment in sewer overflow reduction and water quality upgrades.
For contractors and infrastructure owners, large tunnel programs remain among the most technically demanding civil construction projects because of geotechnical risk, underground safety requirements and specialized tunneling equipment needs. Long-duration delivery schedules and complex procurement structures also continue shaping the heavy civil market for underground infrastructure work.
The Ohio River Tunnel project represents one of the largest active wastewater infrastructure contracts currently underway in the Mid-Atlantic construction sector.
Source: Brayman.
