$104 million Lynchburg, Va., tunnel nears breakthrough beneath Blackwater Creek
(UI) — Lynchburg, Virginia, is nearing completion of a major underground wastewater tunnel designed to dramatically reduce combined sewer overflows into Blackwater Creek and the James River, according to EcoTicias.
Known as the Blackwater Combined Sewer Overflow Tunnel, the project includes a 4,744-foot tunnel excavated through bedrock beneath Blackwater Creek. The tunnel is being constructed between 70 and 120 feet below ground and will provide storage for up to 4.7 million gallons of combined stormwater and wastewater during heavy rainfall events.
When storms overwhelm older combined sewer systems, untreated sewage and runoff can be discharged into nearby waterways. The Lynchburg project is intended to capture those flows, temporarily store them underground and return them to the city's treatment system once capacity becomes available.
Crews have used drill-and-blast excavation methods to construct the tunnel, which is being accessed through a 38-foot-diameter shaft in downtown Lynchburg. By early June, more than 4,200 feet of tunnel had been excavated, with tunneling expected to be completed this summer. According to EcoTicias, the overall project remains on track for completion in 2027.
The tunnel is part of Lynchburg's long-running effort to modernize its combined sewer system and reduce pollution entering local waterways. Once operational, the city expects the project to reduce combined sewer overflow volumes by approximately 98% compared with historic levels.
The $104 million project is being built by Atkinson Construction, with Stantec providing planning, design and project management services. As reported by EcoTicias, roughly $75 million of the project cost is being funded through grants. City officials describe the tunnel as the largest capital improvement project in Lynchburg's history and the final major component of a decades-long sewer overflow reduction program.
Related News
From Archive
- Final Lake Erie sewer tunnel project set to begin after decades-long $3 billion effort
- Oil pipeline struck during fiber optic construction spills into L.A. storm drains
- Fiber drilling strike triggers major sewer failure, lawsuits in Florida
- OSHA cites Alabama builder after fatal trench collapse
- Utility strike at center of Dallas explosion investigation
- Race Communications breaks ground on Bakersfield fiber network
- Final Lake Erie sewer tunnel project set to begin after decades-long $3 billion effort
- Inside Infrastructure: Utility locators warn of systemic failures in damage prevention process
- Senate passes PIPELINE Safety Act aimed at strengthening buried utility protection
Comments