Downtown Wastewater Tunnel Project and Traffic Information
Downtown Wastewater Tunnel Project
The City of Austin’s (City) Downtown Wastewater Tunnel Project is being built to accommodate the continued growth and redevelopment of downtown and south Austin and will improve the City’s current wastewater collection system capacity by constructing a 18,600 linear foot tunnel to reduce current flows in the systems primary wastewater interceptors. Upon completion of this $32,000,000 project, flows in the Northern Austin Interceptor and Southern Austin Interceptor will be reduced and the Shoal Creek and Toomey Lift Stations will be removed from the system. All construction is being performed by SAK / Quest Joint Venture (SAK / Quest), a Joint Venture between Quest Civil Constructors, Inc. and SAK Construction, LLC.
The project includes excavation of approximately 18,600 linear feet of tunnel utilizing 121 inch and 90 inch diameter tunnel boring machines, installation of 54 to 90 inch diameter glass-fiber-reinforced polymer mortar pipe inside the new tunnel. The tunnel will cross under Lady Bird Lake at three different locations. A total of four new shafts will be constructed and the existing Toomey Lift Station will be converted into a fifth shaft allowing construction access from five locations. The shafts will be approximately 28 feet in diameter and 58 feet to 86 feet in depth and supported by a secant pile system. Upon completion of the tunnel, all five shafts will be constructed into access manholes. The construction area around the shaft at Riverside Drive and South First Street will remain enclosed by fencing until the completion of the project.
The Downtown Wastewater Tunnel project is managed by the City of Austin Public Works Department. Construction began in the Spring of 2010 and SAK / Quest is on schedule to complete the project by May 2012. For more information on the project or to contact the City of Austin, please visit http://www.cityofaustin.org/publicworks.