Northwest Washington tunnel awarded
16 October 2013The DC Water Board of Directors has approved the construction contract to build the First Street Tunnel, a medium-term measure to address localised flooding.
Skanska/Jay Dee Joint Venture was selected based on technical score and cost proposal, DC Water stated. The USD 157M bid is for design-build, allowing for more contractor innovation and greater coordination with the contract owner. Design-build teams also assume a portion of the design responsibility.
This project consists of a 19ft (5.8m)-diameter tunnel slated for completion in 2016. The tunnel will store eight million gallons of stormwater, capturing it before it can make its way to the combined sewer system. The stormwater will be stored in the tunnel during rainstorms and pumped into the sewer system once the storms subside.
Allen Lew, chairman of the DC Water board of directors and co-chair of the Mayor¹s Task Force, said: "This is a significant component to the medium-term relief from flooding in these neighbourhoods. We specifically went with a design-build contract to increase flexibility and to save time in order to meet our Task Force timelines."
