New Irvington Tunnel Neighbors compete in the Final Tunnel Hole-Through Challenge at Open House

Last week, neighbors of the New Irvington Tunnel project stopped in for a cup of coffee and to hear the latest updates on tunnel progress at Mission Coffee House in Fremont.  Attendees were able to discuss construction progress, see new project photos, handle some rock samples collected from tunneling, and participate in the final "hole-through" challenge. 

 Residents participate in the Tunnel Hole-Through Challenge

We are still anticipating the exciting moment when the miners will meet underground between the tunnel segment from Vargas East to Alameda West Portal.  The winner will be notified to receive their gift basket of local goodies as soon as the day comes.  Thank you to all who have participated in the New Irvington Tunnel Hole-Through Challenge!  

Our final guesses are shown here:

For more project info, please email mle@sfwater.org or call our 24 hour answer line 866-973-1476.

New Irvington Tunnel: A Year in Construction

The New Irvington Tunnel Project celebrated its first year of construction this past September. When complete the new tunnel will provide a seismically-designed connection between water supplies from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Alameda Watershed to Bay Area water distribution systems. Take a look at the important work taking place above and below ground:



Year One by Numbers:

1 Tunnel Shaft: At 115-feet deep and 41-feet diameter, the Vargas Shaft is the starting point for two of the tunnel headings.

2 Tunnel Portals: Carved into hillsides between Sunol and Fremont the Alameda West and Irvington Portals are access and exit points for the new tunnel.

3 Road Headers: Weighing in at a combined 127 tons these mechanical tunneling machines are grinding their way through 3.5 miles of rock.

76 Secant Piles: Drilled and poured 115-feet into the ground this interlocking circle of piles form the support for the Vargas Shaft.

3057 Feet to Date: Miners have excavated this total from 4 tunnel headings.

KTVU Video: New Irvington Tunnel Project Underway

Want to take an exclusive look at the New Irvington Tunnel? Check out KTVU Channel 2's sneak peak at the construction taking place to seismically upgrade the aging Hetch Hetchy Water System.

http://www.ktvu.com/video/27877116/index.html

Tunneling Begins

On Friday, March 11, the AQM 150-HR Roadheader began grinding its way west and has reached a distance of 25 feet. Tunneling will pause for approximately a week to complete the installation of the portal yard, ventilation and permanent power. Railroad tracks will also be installed behind the road header. The tracks are needed because as spoils generated they are collected on a conveyor belt and loaded onto rail cars for transport outside of the tunnel.

When tunneling resumes the roadheader will travel an average of 22 feet per day until it reaches the Vargas Shaft (14,300 feet away). A sister roadheader headed in the opposite direction will rendezvous with the machine sometime in 2013.

The roadheader’s boom-mounted cutting head that hacks away at rock face.

The boom-mounted cutting head is capable of excavating the 13-foot horseshoe shaped dimensions of the tunnel.

The Roadheader starts its journey from the Alameda West Portal

Spoils generated are collected on a conveyor belt attached to the roadheader and loaded onto rail cars for transport outside of the tunnel.

@ Work: Alameda West Portal

After months of working primarily above ground, construction workers are set to grind into the first inches of rock that make up the 3.5 mile New Irvington Tunnel. Here are some photos of crews @ Work on the eve of the first day of tunneling:

The AQM 150-HR Roadheader moves into position at the Alameda West Portal

Portal spiles are drilled to provide support for tunnel excavation.

Getting ready to knock on the door of the New Irvington Tunnel.

Packing a Punch: The AQM 150-HR Roadheader

How do you punch through 3.5 miles of dirt and rock? You start with an AQM 150-HR Roadheader which arrived on President’s Day after a weeklong trip from Maryland. A roadheader is a tracked piece of tunneling equipment used in conventional mining. In front is a boom-mounted cutting head that hacks away at rock face. The spoils generated are collected on a conveyor belt and loaded onto rail cars for transport outside of the tunnel.

This roadheader will start its journey at the Alameda West Portal (AWP) which is one of the primary tunneling sites for the New Irvington Tunnel. From there, the roadheader will tunnel west towards the Vargas Shaft and meet with a sister roadheader headed in the opposite direction. The roadheader rendezvous is expected to take place sometime in 2013.

The roadheader is more than 26 feet long, 7 feet wide and weighs 36 tons. The boom-mounted cutting head is capable of excavating the 13-foot horseshoe shaped dimensions of the tunnel. This roadheader also has a probe attachment used to drill a 2-inch hole 150 feet ahead of the rock to investigate ground conditions and groundwater inflow.

Look for continued images and updates of our progress at New Irvington Tunnel.