January will see the removal of remaining carriers and bridges from within the tunnel to the outlet channel where they are dismantled and lifted to the surface. Castonguay Blasting Company continues the blasting process to remove the rock plug separating the outlet channel from the hydro feeder canal. In February, the removal of all work related equipment support utilities including pipelines and power lines is expected.
OPG awarded a CAD 600M (USD 607.7M) design-build contract for the Niagara Tunnel to Strabag on August 18, 2005, based on its proposal to excavate the tunnel with a 47.4ft (14.4m) Robbins Main Beam gripper TBM and a two-pass lining. The project will bring more water from the upper Niagara River to the Sir Adam Beck hydroelectricity generators. The additional water will allow OPG to generate enough clean, renewable, electricity to power some 160,000 homes.
