The next stage of New York’s expansive Water Tunnel #3 project has been awarded to the Schiavone/Frontier Kemper/J F Shea JV. The $86M, 30-month contract with the City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) involves some 6.4km of deep level hard rock TBM tunnelling beneath the streets of Manhattan.
From a central 179m x 6.3m diameter deep access/working shaft in Midtown Manhattan, the JV will use two TBMs to excavate 2.4km of 3.2m diameter tunnel north toward Central Park and 4km of 3.7m diameter south toward Battery Park.
Notice to proceed (NTP) is expected by early January. According to Del Vescovo, the contract’s JV site manager, the JV is working with CTS and other suppliers for the supply of two refurbished TBMs for the job.
"After creating the bellouts at the bottom of the existing shaft using drill and blast through the hard Manhattan Schist, we expect to launch the machines in October 2002," he said.
Designed by the DEP, the new contract is part of Stage 2 of the four stage $5.5-$6bn, 96km Water Tunnel #3 network and extends the potable water supply main into Manhattan from the completed Stage 1 section. A follow on contract for Stage 2 will extend the line another 11.2km or 12.8km further into Manhattan. That contract is expected to be bid in two years’ time and includes nine or 10, 182-213m deep raise bores and the in-situ concrete lining of both that section of tunnel and the 6.4km of the current contract.
The full Stage 2 section in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan is scheduled to be in operation by 2006 and the total Water Tunnel #3 network is programmed to be completed by 2020.
