The Steel City Tunnel Partners, an equal partnership between the Lane Construction Company and Brayman Construction, has won the $1 billion contract to construct the Ohio River Tunnel project. This project is part of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) Clean Water Plan and Regional Tunnel System. Lane is the American subsidiary of the Webuild Group.

The multi-billion-dollar program will help improve water quality in the Pennsylvania region and upgrade the region’s aging sewer system.

The Ohio River Tunnel will include the construction of 4.9 miles of deep tunnel, multiple shafts, and regulator structures. The system also comprises near-surface structures to capture and convey wet-weather combined-sewer flows for treatment, thereby preventing the discharge of sewage into local waterways.

Each year, approximately 7 billion gallons of combined sewer water overflow into local rivers. Upon completion, the Ohio River Tunnel will help address this and support local environmental compliance while strengthening the area’s wastewater management capacity.

A project of this capacity requires technical expertise and local civil construction know-how. The joint venture addresses both these requirements. Lane Construction will lead tunneling operations and project management, while Brayman will be responsible for constructing the shaft, laying the foundation systems, and the heavy-civil components.

The Joint Venture statement read, “With deep regional experience in complex underground work, Steel City Tunnel Partners is proud to help deliver a system that will protect the Ohio River and create long-term value for the Pittsburgh region." 

The Ohio River Tunnel is one of many projects across the US that are investing in large-scale underground infrastructure to replace aging water systems and address environmental concerns. These projects are preferred in metropolitan areas as they reduce sewage overflows and prevent surface disruption.

ALCOSAN’s Regional Tunnel System consists of three segments, with the Ohio Tunnel being the largest. Further phases include the Allegheny River Tunnel and the Monongahela River Tunnel. 

This new project will offer not only environmental benefits but also economic benefits, as it will create several construction jobs and increase demand among suppliers, equipment providers, and specialized subcontractors.

The Clean Water Plan’s cost has increased since 2022; four years ago, the project was estimated at $2.2 billion, and now has a projected cost of $4.5 billion.

Jonathan Burgess, director of the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, said, “(Once complete), the rivers and the streams that the tunnels are supporting will be much, much cleaner.”

Brayman Construction has 80 years of experience in lock-and-dam construction, complex bridge structures, geotechnical work, and foundation systems. They’ve previously worked on the Potomac River Tunnel in Washington, D.C, and near-surface facility work in Pittsburgh.

Lane has over a century of expertise in tunneling and has constructed over 100 miles of tunnel across 200 projects, with estimated costs in the billions of dollars.

Construction on this $1 billion project will start later this year and is expected to be completed by 2032.