Steel City Tunnel Partners has been awarded a $1 billion contract to construct the Ohio River Tunnel.
Steel City Tunnel Partners reflects an equal partnership between The Lane Construction Corporation (Lane, Webuild Group) and Brayman Construction Corporation (Brayman). The Ohio River Tunnel Project is a key component of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority's (ALCOSAN) Clean Water Plan, a multi-billion-dollar program designed to significantly improve water quality throughout the Pennsylvania region.
The Ohio River Tunnel represents a transformative investment in regional water infrastructure. The project includes construction of approximately 4.9 mi. of deep tunnel, multiple shafts, regulator structures and associated near-surface facilities designed to capture and convey wet weather combined sewer flows for treatment. Once complete, the system will capture and convey excess wet weather flows, reducing combined sewer overflows into regional waterways by approximately 7 billion gal. annually. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with completion contributing to long-term improvements in water quality, regulatory compliance and regional infrastructure resilience.
Projects like this demand the right combination of technical expertise, execution strength and local knowledge, according to the companies.
"Steel City Tunnel Partners brings together proven tunneling, foundation and heavy civil capabilities to safely and efficiently deliver this critical infrastructure for ALCOSAN," said the joint venture. "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."
Lane, the U.S. subsidiary of Webuild Group, will provide project management and major tunneling operations, drawing on its extensive experience delivering complex underground infrastructure nationwide. Brayman, a Pittsburgh-based contractor serving the eastern United States, will oversee key heavy civil and shaft construction activities, combining deep regional knowledge with a strong track record of delivering technically demanding infrastructure projects in challenging conditions, according to the companies.
"Lane, as a partner of Steel City Tunnel Partners, is proud to be awarded this landmark project, which will play a vital role in protecting the Ohio River and strengthening the region's wastewater infrastructure for generations to come," said Daniele Nebbia, CEO of Lane Construction. "Our team brings deep tunneling expertise and a long history of successfully executing complex underground works across the country. We look forward to partnering with Brayman to deliver a tunnel system for ALCOSAN that will improve water quality, support community resilience, and create long-term value for the Pittsburgh region."
"At Brayman, we have studied and followed ALCOSAN's Clean Water Plan for more than a decade, and we look forward to delivering the Ohio River Tunnel section alongside our partner, Lane," said Stephen Muck, CEO and chairman of Brayman Construction. "This award strengthens Brayman's heavy civil infrastructure portfolio in the Pittsburgh region. As a partner of Steel City Tunnel Partners, we will leverage our regional and technical expertise as we deliver this work for ALCOSAN and the communities it serves."
Brayman also is partnered on a second billion-dollar project in the Pittsburgh region, the Montgomery Lock Chamber Replacement for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with Trumbull Corporation.
The Ohio River Tunnel is the first of three major deep tunnels planned under ALCOSAN's Regional Tunnel System, a long-term program designed to significantly reduce sewer overflows and protect the region's waterways for generations to come.
Lane brings more than a century of tunneling expertise and a proven record of delivering complex underground infrastructure nationwide, according to the company. Supported by the global capabilities of its parent company, Webuild, Lane has constructed more than 100 mi. of tunnel across more than 200 projects valued in billions of dollars. This extensive experience spans major U.S. cities including the Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT) and the Anacostia River Tunnel as part of a wastewater management system in Washington, D.C.; the Ship Canal Water Quality Project in Washington; and the Palisades Tunnel in New Jersey, the first tunnel boring contract awarded by the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) of the larger $16 billion Hudson River Tunnel Project (HTP).
With nearly 80 years in the industry, Brayman Construction is a leader in lock and dam construction, complex bridge structures, geotechnical work and foundation systems.
"Brayman consistently delivers technically demanding infrastructure projects across the region and nationwide, including installing deep shafts and diversion structures at the Potomac River Tunnel in Washington, D.C. and previous near surface facility work for ALCOSAN in Pittsburgh, Pa.," the company said. "Brayman's expertise in drilled shafts and foundation systems combined with a deep familiarity of Pittsburgh's geology and waterways, position the team to confidently execute the challenging shaft, foundation, and structural components of the Ohio River Tunnel Project."
