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City reports breakthrough on Rack 32 tunnel; mainline 16.5‑ft tunnel begins tunneling toward river
Summary
City engineers reported a successful breakthrough of the 10‑ft‑diameter Rack 32 interceptor tunnel (about 2,000 feet) and noted that the larger 16.5‑ft mainline tunnel mining beneath Riverside Drive has just started; tunneling schedules estimate the mainline will finish this fall.
City storm‑water staff updated the Public Service Committee on progress in two tunnel projects that are part of the north‑side interceptor work to control combined‑sewer overflows.
Staff presented a breakthrough photo and described Rack 32, a 10‑foot outside‑diameter, roughly 2,000‑foot tunnel completed through soft ground. "This is a 10 foot diameter tunnel. It's about 2,000 feet, through soft ground, which is pretty risky when it comes to tunneling, and we successfully made it through that run without any issues," a project engineer said. The machine installed concrete segment rings as it advanced (segments installed every three feet) and left a lined tunnel that crews will fit out to accept flow.
The larger mainline tunnel — a 16.5‑foot diameter bore following Riverside Drive and traveling in shale — began mining the previous Wednesday. Staff estimated that tunneling for the mainline will take about five months and complete in the fall. Officials described the plan to drop Rack 32’s flows into the portal and route them through the main tunnel down to the river and into the interceptor.
Committee members asked technical questions about segment thickness and installation; staff explained segments are about one foot thick and are cast locally in Solon, Ohio. The tunnels are part of the larger CSO control work; staff said the work recently started and showed construction photos to the committee.
