3/30/2007
Media Contact:
Angie Nussmeyer,
317-327-5235 |
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City’s tunneling project tops in the State
INDIANAPOLIS – Recently, the Department of Public Works accepted an award for the top civil engineering project in the state of Indiana. Selected by the Indiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Pogues Run Tunneling Project was named the 2007 Indiana Civil Engineering Project of the Year at the group’s Annual Meeting luncheon.
“The Pogues Run Tunneling Project was one of the early-action projects the city undertook toward ending the practice of allowing raw sewage to overflow into our streams and rivers,” said DPW Director Kumar Menon. “I am thrilled that our team was recognized for their efforts.”
Pogues Run was selected for the city’s first tunneling project because of its proximity to Arsenal Tech High School, Harshman Middle School, Horizon Alternative Middle School and Theodore Potter Elementary School. The tunneling method was used because of the difficulty of the construction.
Focusing on the lower portion of Pogues Run between 10th and New York streets, a new 12-foot diameter tunnel was built to capture raw sewage overflows and redirect those overflows into an existing downtown tunnel – away from the schools. As a direct result of the completed project, raw sewage overflows in the area should be reduced from 22-38 per year to four overflows or less, based on average rainfall statistics.
Homes also have been removed from the 100-year Pogues Run flood plain as part of the construction activity within the Pogues Run Channel. However, these homes were removed from the flood plain because other phases of the project modified the channel of Pogues Run, not because of the tunneling phase itself.
“The experiences learned through this project will enable us to better understand tunnel engineering and construction, which will greatly benefit the city on future tunneling projects such as the Belmont-Southport Interplant Connect,” Menon added.
This $19.2 million project is an integral part of the Mayor Peterson’s Clean Streams-Healthy Neighborhoods program, a 20-year, $1.8 billion plan to reduce raw sewage overflows, eliminate septic tanks, upgrade sanitary sewers and improve flood control and drainage throughout Marion County.
Pogues Run is an urban stream approximately 11 miles long, draining approximately 13 square miles of watershed area that flows into the White River. The stream is located in Center Township, just east of downtown Indianapolis and I-65/I-70.
For more information about this project, please visit www.IndyCleanStreams.org.
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