Tunnel Excavation, I-35W Stormwater Storage Facility, Minneapolis
Two Caterpillar excavators inside MnDOT I-35W stormwater storage tunnel with concrete debris.
This tunnel 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 local sewer system. Excavation crews used compact tracked excavators to bore through rock and soil, hauling debris out through the shaft as the tunnel advanced. Ventilation ducting run along the tunnel walls supplied fresh air to the work area during construction. The finished facility functions as an underground reservoir, easing pressure on the city's stormwater system during heavy rain events.
Photo taken in February 2022.
