Blackwater CSO tunnel project begins drill-and-blast phase of construction
Beginning Monday, January 13, Lynchburg Water Resources’ (LWR) contractor, Atkinson Construction, will begin the drill-and-blast phase of construction for the Blackwater CSO Tunnel project at the main project site located at the bottom of Seventh Street in Downtown Lynchburg.
According to a news release from the city of Lynchburg, The Blackwater CSO Tunnel Project, called LYHBeyond, is the largest capital improvement project in Lynchburg’s history and the most impactful project to date in protecting Lynchburg’s waterways. A capstone of the city’s 45-year Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Program, this project is constructing a nearly mile-long, 12-foot diameter underground tunnel beneath the Blackwater Creek that can store up to 4.7 million gallons of combined sewage/stormwater during heavy rain events, preventing that sewage from overflowing into the Blackwater Creek. The CSO Program, with the tunnel’s completion in 2027, will result in a 98% reduction in sewage overflow volume from when the program began in 1979.
The Blackwater CSO Tunnel, which will range from 70 to 120 feet beneath the Blackwater Creek, will be constructed through solid rock using drill-and-blast excavation. This process will be done by drilling multiple holes into existing rock, placing blasting material in the drilled holes, detonating the material and removing the rock. Each blast will be preceded by a series of air horn blares.
The first test blast, using just 25% of the blasting material of a typical blast, is scheduled to begin this morning, January 13; however, delays may be possible. Drilling-and-blasting will occur within a 38-foot in diameter shaft already constructed at the Seventh Street work site. The shaft will be covered to mitigate noise and to keep the blasted rock contained. The amount of blasting material will be increased with future blasts, the city of Lynchburg reported.
For the next two months, there will be one to two blasts per week. Then, beginning this spring (approximately), blasts will shift to two per day. The total drill-and-blast phase of the project is expected to last until July 2026.
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