Building the Future: Delve Underground's Construction Management Highlights

Effective construction management ensures safe and efficient project execution. Delve Underground partners with project owners, contractors, and designers to deliver cost-effective, high-quality implementation of designs.

With expertise as designers, construction managers, contractors, and construction claims specialists, we anticipate challenges and develop solutions to maintain progress. Leading multidisciplinary teams, we provide services from pre-bid analyses, cost estimating, and risk assessments to on-site staffing, including construction managers, resident engineers, and QA/QC inspectors.

In addition to LA Metro’s Westside Purple Line Extension Section 2 (see article on page 4), Delve Underground is currently providing construction management services on several large infrastructure projects, including the Queens–Brooklyn Water Supply Tunnel (New York City Department of Environmental Protection), Annacis Water Supply Tunnel (Metro Vancouver), Stanley Park Capilano 5 Watermain Tunnel (Metro Vancouver), and Shoreline Storage Tunnel (Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District). Read further for updates on these critical infrastructure efforts.

Queens-Brooklyn Water Supply Tunnel

Delve Underground, in a joint venture with STV, is providing construction management services to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for the Queens–Brooklyn segment of City Tunnel No. 3. Services include resident engineering, inspection, office engineering, and commissioning for the water distribution systems.

Phase 1 (Contract C547A) involves constructing Shafts 17B-1 and 18B-1 using ground freezing and drill-and-blast methods, with rock support, waterproofing, and reinforced concrete lining, tunnel connections at both shafts, and inspection and repairs to the 11.5-mile (18.5 km) tunnel segment. Phase 2 (Contract C547B) will add underground distribution chambers, equipment, and a sophisticated control system to integrate with the city’s water infrastructure, as well as rehabilitation of the existing seven shafts and construction of a downtake structure from City Tunnel Number 2 to Staten Island.

Delve Underground is providing the construction manager, assistant resident engineer, lead inspector, and supervising engineer for shaft construction; subject matter experts for both ground freezing and drilling and blasting; senior inspectors; inspectors; and office engineering support of construction, performing professional engineering and inspection services for the construction work on this project.

As of January 2025, both shafts have been excavated to approximately 78%, and the final liner placed from 50% at 18B-1, to nearly 70% at 17B-1. Tunnel breakthrough is anticipated by the end of 2025, with the final riser pipe installation scheduled for completion by February 2027.

Shoreline Storage Tunnel

The Shoreline Storage Tunnel (SST) project is part of Project Clean Lake, a $3 billion, 24-year program that the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) began in 2011 to meet Clean Water Act standards and address water quality issues. The SST is the fifth of seven new large-diameter tunnels, along with other projects that NEORSD will use toward Project Clean Lake’s overall goal to reduce the 4.5 billion gallons (17 billion L) of wet weather combined sewer overflows (CSOs) released into Lake Erie and its tributaries in the Greater Cleveland area.

The SST includes nearly 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of 23-foot-diameter (7 m) soft ground tunnel 100 to 120 feet (30–37 m) below ground that will capture and store overflows from CSO outfalls along the Lake Erie shoreline. The SST will then convey these overflows to other NEORSD tunnels and sewers, which will transport flows to the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment before they are released into the environment.

Construction of the SST was awarded to the McNally/Kiewit SST (MK) joint venture. NEORSD issued Notice to Proceed in July 2021 with an anticipated substantial completion date of January 2026. After providing overall design management, including tunnel and shaft design and geotechnical engineering, Delve Underground transitioned from the design phase to the construction phase. During tunnel excavation, three Delve Underground employees were on site supporting NEORSD’s construction management personnel with construction inspection, tunnel boring machine (TBM) performance monitoring, and coordination of design services (e.g., shop drawing review, RFIs, evaluation of claims support, and change management).

The tunnel was excavated with a 26-foot-diameter (8 m) Herrenknecht earth pressure balance tunnel boring machine (EPM TBM) with a face pressure near 3.5 bar. MK designed a 6-foot-long (1.8 m) tunnel precast segment final lining. The TBM excavation was completed in May 2024. Currently, construction is ongoing to complete several near-surface structures and a hand-excavated 78-inch-diameter (198 cm) dewatering tunnel from the SST system to the existing Dugway Storage Tunnel System.

Annacis Water Supply Tunnel

Metro Vancouver is constructing the Annacis Water Supply Tunnel deep under the Fraser River between the cities of New Westminster and Surrey. The project includes deep vertical shafts constructed on both sides of the river with a 4.5-meter-diameter (15 ft), 2.3-kilometer-long (1.4 mi) tunnel between the shafts. A 2.6-meter-diameter (8.5 ft) steel water main will be installed inside the shafts and tunnel and connected through new underground valve chambers to allow connection to the Greater Vancouver Water District water transmission system. The project will provide increased capacity to meet future demand, and the tunnel is designed to withstand river scour and remain operational during and following a major earthquake.

Delve Underground is providing construction management representing Metro Vancouver, the owner, for the project. The project team helps manage day-to-day communication between the owner, contractor, and engineer. The team also administers the contract and resolves any issues on the project, including safety, scheduling, technical, submittals, request for information, change orders, and claims.

The project is 50% complete. Tunneling started in March 2024 and is currently 70% complete. The project team anticipates hole-through in February 2025. The project is expected to be finished in November 2027.

Stanley Park Capilano 5 Water Main Tunnel

Metro Vancouver is planning the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel to address the region’s growing drinking water needs. This new infrastructure will replace a 1930s water main nearing the end of its service life.

The project includes a deep underground tunnel, a new water main, and two valve chambers to regulate water flow. These will connect to the existing distribution system. Three shafts will be constructed in Stanley Park for tunnel excavation, water main installation, and valve chamber construction. Shaft locations, tunnel alignment, and construction methods were chosen through extensive geotechnical, environmental, archaeological, and traffic studies.

The project team recently received a Notice to Proceed and anticipates beginning construction on site in early 2025. Construction is expected to be completed in 2029. When complete, the new tunnel will meet current seismic standards, help ensure the continued reliable delivery of high-quality drinking water to the cities of Vancouver and Richmond, and increase the capacity of the existing system for the region’s growing population.

Serving as Metro Vancouver’s construction manager and contract administrator, we manage the daily communication between the owner, contractor, and engineer, and resolve issues on the project.

Leading multi-disciplinary teams, we provide services from pre-bid analyses, cost estimating, and risk assessments to on-site construction management staffing.