A joint venture between Lane and Brayman Construction has been awarded a $1bn contract to construct the first major tunnel for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) Regional Tunnel System in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The project, known as the Ohio River Tunnel, is a central element of ALCOSAN’s Clean Water Plan, which aims to reduce combined sewer overflows into local rivers during heavy rainfall events.
The Ohio River Tunnel will be built at depths ranging from 36m to 45m beneath the city and will extend approximately 8km.
The construction includes a main hydraulic tunnel of more than 5m in diameter and nearly 6km long, along with several shafts and associated surface infrastructure.
Two secondary tunnels, the 1.3km Chartiers Creek Tunnel and the 500m Saw Mill Run Tunnel, both just over 4m wide, will connect to the main structure. Surface works will include flow regulators, two technical buildings and a river outfall.
The scheme is intended to capture and temporarily store excess flows of untreated water during storms, preventing direct discharges into the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers.
These flows will be conveyed via the tunnel system and later transferred to an upgraded wastewater treatment plant.
The tunnel is designed to be an engineered conduit for improved water quality and is the first of three planned under ALCOSAN’s Regional Tunnel System, with future tunnels planned under the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.
Lane, a subsidiary of the Webuild Group, holds a 50% stake in the joint venture. The company brings experience from over 200 projects in the US, including more than 160km of completed water and urban tunnels.
Past projects for Lane include the Northeast Boundary Tunnel and Anacostia River Tunnel in Washington DC, the Ship Canal Water Quality Project in Washington State, and the Palisades Tunnel in New Jersey.
Webuild Group stated that all surface infrastructure for the Ohio River Tunnel will be integrated carefully into Pittsburgh’s urban environment, aiming for a minimal footprint.
The tunnelling work is scheduled as a cornerstone project within ALCOSAN’s broader regional efforts to safeguard the water quality of Pittsburgh’s river systems.
Lane Construction COO Daniele Nebbia said: “Lane, as a partner of Steel City Tunnel Partners, is proud to be awarded this landmark project, which will play a vital role in protecting the Ohio River and strengthening the region’s wastewater infrastructure for generations to come.
“Our team brings deep tunnelling expertise and a long history of successfully executing complex underground works across the country. We look forward to partnering with Brayman to deliver a tunnel system for ALCOSAN that will improve water quality, support community resilience, and create long-term value for the Pittsburgh region.”
