A Granite Construction and Super Excavators joint venture has been awarded a $324.8 million contract to construct a major combined sewer overflow storage tunnel in Cleveland, Ohio, expanding regional wastewater infrastructure capacity.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District awarded the Big Creek Tunnel contract to Granite-Super Joint Venture. The project is the seventh and final large-diameter combined sewer overflow storage tunnel planned under NEORSD’s Project Clean Lake program.
The project calls for construction of approximately 22,300 linear feet of 20-foot-diameter tunnel. Another 3,115 linear feet of ancillary tunnels will include adits, an overflow tunnel, a connecting tunnel and a dewatering tunnel.
Additional work includes multiple shafts, diversion structures, gate and screening structures, gate control vaults, consolidation sewers and an overflow box culvert. Sitework, utility work and restoration are also included in the contract.
The tunnel is designed to provide additional capacity for combined sewer flows. Once completed, the project is expected to eliminate approximately 550 million gallons of combined sewer releases each year.
The Big Creek Tunnel is part of Project Clean Lake, a $3 billion, 24-year program launched by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District in 2011 to improve water quality throughout the region.
The contract is scheduled to be included in Granite’s third-quarter 2026 backlog. Construction is expected to start in fall 2026, with completion targeted for winter 2030.
The project adds to Granite’s portfolio of large-scale water and wastewater infrastructure work and requires tunneling, shaft construction and complex underground structures. For Northeast Ohio, the completed system will provide additional combined sewer overflow storage capacity and reduce releases into local waterways.
Source: Granite Construction.
