Breakthrough in King County Brightwater Conveyance System The Kenny, Shea, and Traylor Joint Venture has announced that "Luminita" their LOVAT RME229SE Series 22900 TBM has broken through and completed the King County Brightwater-East project in Seattle, Washington, USA. The tunnel was constructed to hold two pipelines that will carry untreated wastewater to the Brightwater plant for treatment when it comes online in 2011. The 5.8 metre diameter Mixed Face, EPB TBM completed the 4,231 metre long tunnel in 14 months. Ground conditions encountered consisted of fine to medium sand, with varying amounts of gravel, silt and clay, with maximum EPB pressures of 4 bar. 18 nov 08 King County's Brightwater project reached a major milestone late last week as workers completed the first tunnel of the new wastewater treatment system's 13-mile conveyance system. Tunnel boring machine "Luminita" emerged on the Brightwater treatment plant site north of Woodinville on Friday afternoon, completing its 14-month underground journey from Bothell that began in September 2007. The concrete-lined tunnel created by Luminita is 14,000 feet long and approximately 18 feet in diameter. The tunnel lies about 260 feet below the surface at its deepest point. "Modern tunneling technology enabled us to complete construction while causing minimal disruption to residents and businesses above ground," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "The result is a successful tunneling project that will help us continue ensuring clean water and a healthy environment for people across the region." The tunnel was constructed to hold two pipelines that will carry untreated wastewater to the Brightwater plant for treatment when it comes online in 2011. The tunnel will also hold a separate effluent pipeline to take highly treated wastewater to a deep-water outfall in Puget Sound, and a separate "purple pipeline" for reclaimed water. These pipes will range from 27 inches to 84 inches in diameter. Once they're installed in 2009 and 2010, the tunnel will be backfilled filled with concrete. Kenny/Shea/Traylor, a Joint Venture, of Wheeling, Ill., was awarded the $131 million contract in late 2005 to build the east section of the Brightwater treatment plant's conveyance system. "This project was challenging due to the difficult ground conditions and tight schedule," said Ted Budd, project director for Kenny/Shea/Traylor. "The dedication of everyone involved in the project, especially the mining crews that have been working six days a week around the clock for the last nine months, made it happen. "There was a sigh of relief when Luminita, the 19-foot, 3-inch in diameter tunnel boring machine, daylighted into the new treatment plant site in Woodinville last Friday within an inch of target after mining the 2.6 miles from Bothell," said Budd. Kenny/Shay/Traylor also built the 74-foot-deep shaft that was used to launch the tunnel boring machine, completed a smaller 2,400-foot-long microtunnel from the North Creek tunnel shaft to the existing North Creek Pump Station, and excavated an 83-foot-deep double shaft for a new pump station that will be built by Kiewit Pacific beginning early next year. All of this work is part of the $1.8 billion Brightwater project to build a treatment plant, 13-mile conveyance system, and a marine outfall north of Seattle by 2011. Jacobs Civil provided construction management services for the conveyance facilities. MWH/Jacobs Associates designed the system as a joint venture. Information about the Brightwater project is available by calling 206-684-6799. People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years. Click us/94. 50/08