Skid Steer and Excavator Breach Concrete Wall, I-35W Stormwater Facility
Caterpillar excavator operates inside underground concrete tunnel during I-35W stormwater storage facility construction.
This underground chamber is part of the I-35W stormwater storage facility, a Minnesota Department of Transportation project built to hold runoff from the freeway corridor before it's released into the city's stormwater system. The facility relies on excavated concrete vaults and connecting passages bored beneath the highway right-of-way to manage large volumes of water during heavy rain events. Skid-steer loaders and hydraulic excavators, including Caterpillar models fitted with breaker attachments, are used to open connections between chambers and clear debris as excavation proceeds. Ventilation ducting run through the tunnels supplies fresh air to crews working below grade during construction.
Photo taken in February 2022.
