Design-build contract for Blue Plains tunnel awarded

A joint venture of Traylor Brothers-Skanska-JayDee secured the USD 330.5M contract for design and construction of the Blue Plains storage and conveyance tunnel on Friday.

Excavation will begin in July on the 23,600ft (7.2km) tunnel with a 23ft (7m) internal diameter, which will be constructed in soft-ground under and adjacent to the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Lining will be bolted/gasketed precast concrete segments.

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority’s (DC Water) board of directors approved the contract as part of the USD 2.6bn Clean Rivers Project reduce combined-sewer runoff to the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek by 96 per cent.

The Traylor Brothers joint venture delivered the highest-scoring technical proposal and the lowest price, a spokesperson for DC Water said.