From the archives… of the Pawtucket Tunnel (United States)

A true postcard and paradise for lovers of wide open spaces, the Providence region has nevertheless long been subject to problems of water pollution.

More than twenty years ago, the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) initiated a vast program aimed at improving its quality.

At the heart of the project is the management of sewer overflows during increasingly frequent episodes of torrential rain. The combined sewer system in the city of Pawtucket carries not only domestic and commercial wastewater, but also stormwater runoff from the streets. During severe thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rainfall, this saturated system overflows into the Seekonk River, compromising its water quality and, consequently, that of the bay.

It is in this context that the teams from Bouygues Travaux Publics and CBNA (Civil & Building North America), within the CB3A group, have been working since the fall of 2022.

The final phase of the NBC project, the Pawtucket tunnel, aims to collect and store 200.000 m² of water, the equivalent of 92 Olympic swimming pools, before it is treated and then returned to the river.

Stretching 3,5 kilometers long and 9 meters in diameter, this project required a tunnel boring machine specially designed to navigate the varied geology of the route. Today, the excavations carried out by Chloé, the 1.700-ton behemoth, are complete. By 2028, water will be able to resume its underground flow.

Now, let's get to the film... enjoy!

🤝 @Narragansett Bay Commission

📽️ Euphoric – Bouygues Public Works