Tunnel construction completed at Peace River site
28 May 2020BC Hydro has announced a new milestone on the Site C Clean Energy project located on the Peace River in British Columbia, Canada. Two 750m-long diversion tunnels are now finished, as are four gate structures located at the tunnels’ upstream and downstream entrances. In September 2020, the 11m-diameter tunnels will be used to reroute the river around the dam site, allowing for the construction of an earth-fill dam across the main river channel.
Tunnel excavation using roadheaders began in summer 2018 and was completed in late 2019. The tunnel-lining process, which involved a custom-built slip form to enable concrete to cure in a perfect circle, began in summer 2019 and was completed in May 2020.
Completion on the tunnel project has come despite the scaled-back work activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 18, BC Hydro has prioritised the work required to achieve the river diversion target date. The project remains on schedule to begin diverting the river in September 2020 and will continue until the Site C reservoir is filled in 2023.
See an explanatory video of the project at www.sitecproject.com/construction-activities/river-diversion
