tunnelling-journal (1)
tunnelling-journal (1)
  • Home
  • Print
    • Subscribe
    • Tunnelling Journal
    • Breakthrough
    • ITA Activity Report
    • A&NZ Journal
    • WTC Preview
    • Media Kit
  • Digital
    • Newsletter
    • E-Shots
    • TJ Digital edition
    • Products Page
    • Media Kit
  • Conferences
    • BTS Conference and Exhibition
    • Cutting Edge 2023
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Events Diary
  • Jobs
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Podcast

Home > Lake Mead's third intake is flooded in preparation for service

Lake Mead's third intake is flooded in preparation for service

Amanda Foley

Written by Amanda Foley on 16/09/2015 in News

Tagged:

Salini Impregilo, through its “Vegas Tunnel Constructors” joint-venture with US subsidiary SA Healy, has started filling the new Lake Mead tunnel with water, the latest milestone towards completing this record-breaking project awarded by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) in 2008.Southern Nevada – and especially Las Vegas – has risen to the challenge of the Colorado River Basin drought thanks to an innovative hydraulic system at Lake Mead, one of the largest artificial bodies of water in the world. The system will guarantee the supply of water to the city and surrounding areas for decades to come.

Formed by the Hoover Dam, the lake provides about 90% of the fresh water used by the Southern Nevada community of nearly two million people, which includes Las Vegas and Henderson.

The challenge faced by Vegas Tunnel Constructors was to install a new deep-water intake (known as Intake No. 3) at the bottom of Lake Mead and then, nearly 200m below ground, drive a 4.5km tunnel from the shore to this intake.

Due to its strategic location at the bottom of the lake, the intake will become the primary water supply for the Southern Nevada area and ensure continued access to water even with declining lake levels.

The filling of the tunnel will last approximately two weeks. By the end of September, Vegas Tunnel Constructors will remove the bulkhead that will connect the existing pump stations. Once the tunnel is completely full, the bulkhead installed at the bottom of Lake Mead will be removed allowing the tunnel to be put into service.

The project, which set a record in the engineering world by operating a tunnel boring machine at hydrostatic pressures of up to 15 bar, required several technical innovations to be developed on site (see NATJ, Feb/March digital edition).

Comments:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Digital Edition

More Like This

17/07/2023

EPBM launched on Turkey’s Halkali-Ispartakule rail project

EPBM launched on Turkey’s Halkali-Ispartakule rail project

July 11, 2023, saw the 8.54m diameter “CREC 1148” EPBM designed and manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co….

06/06/2023

Boring begins on Sydney Metro West Central Package

Boring begins on Sydney Metro West Central Package

The first of two Herrenknecht double-shield, hard rock, gripper-type TBMs has started boring on the Central Tunnel Package of the…

08/09/2023

Sydney Northern Beaches Tunnel project scrapped

Sydney Northern Beaches Tunnel project scrapped

The New South Wales Government has today confirmed the decision to cancel the Beaches Link project. The Beaches Link project…

  • Contact Us
  • Media Kit
  • Magazine Archive

Newsletter

The latest from the Tunneling Journal direct to your inbox.

Social



Enquiries

TGS Media Ltd
The Old Library
Webster House
Dudley Road
Tunbridge Wells
TN1 1LE
United Kingdom

© Tunnelling Journal. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. Admin

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more