Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel awarded
Oct 2008
- 21 October 2008: Shank/Balfour Beatty, JV (S/BB), has secured the construction contract for the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel project from The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The $55,674,000 contract will install a 4,200ft long, 8ft finished diameter tunnel at a critical juncture in the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System.
- S/BB JV's bid of $55.67 million was the lowest of four and was at the low end of the Engineer's estimate of $55 - $65 million. The JV's subcontractors for the TBM-driven tunnel include: Cowhey Pacific Drilling - finish tunnel segements; Ronald Neslon Contractor - form, finish and place vaults; Eighteen Trucking - trucking and disposal; Blocka Construction - electrical; Cell-Crete Corp - cellular grout around steel pipe, tunnel and shaft lining; CMC Fontana Steel - reinforcing steel and concrete structures.
-
The other three bids were: $59.96 million from Southland Contracting of Fort Worth, Texas, $61.87 million from McNally/Kiewit Pacific JV of Westlake, Ohio and $64.93 million from Michels Corporation of New Berlin, Wisconsin.
- The project is one of 85 projects within the SFPUC's $4.3 billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP), and among 50 regional contracts in seven counties that will be let before this major infrastructure program is completed in 2014.
- S/BB JV team has worked together on tunneling projects for 15 years. Most recently, the team has been finishing up work on the North Dorchester Bay CSO Tunnel in South Boston, Massachusetts. The 10,800ft tunnel was constructed adjacent to Boston Harbor and is expected to be completed this Fall.
- M.L.Shank Company of Highlands, California, the on-site manager partner, has been in the tunnel building business since the mid-1980s. Balfour Beatty is a leading infrastructure provider, providing design, project management, construction and engineering services to customers around the world.
- "We are pleased to be working with these nationally known tunneling contractors for this important bypass tunnel that brings water through San Mateo County into San Francisco," said Husam Masri, Senior Project Manager for the WSIP San Francisco Peninsula Region.
- "The Pre-qualification Program, established in response to feedback from the contracting community, is indeed helping us attract some of the country's top contracting firms to work on WSIP projects," added Julie Labonte, WSIP Director.
- This seismic improvement tunnel project is due to commence in December 2008 and continue through mid 2011. Jacobs Associates of San Francisco, selected earlier this year, will serve as the Construction Management firm assisting the SFPUC.
