Cat Excavator Through Broken Concrete, I-35W Stormwater Storage Facility
Caterpillar excavator operates inside underground tunnel during MnDOT I-35W stormwater storage facility construction.
The I-35W Stormwater Storage Facility is a Minnesota Department of Transportation project built to hold runoff from the highway corridor before it's released into the city's sewer system, reducing flood risk in surrounding neighborhoods. Construction crews use excavators like this Caterpillar model to break through concrete walls and clear debris as chambers within the underground facility are connected. The rough, broken opening marks a section where formwork has been demolished to link adjoining parts of the structure. Work of this kind typically proceeds in phases, with sections poured, cured, and then opened to join the larger underground network.
Photo taken in February 2022.
