By rosebell
As part of the I-94 freeway modernisation from Burns Avenue to Barrett Avenue, the I-94 Modernisation Segment 3 Package 1 Drainage Tunnel is due to provide a resilient drainage solution. With an estimated 15-24m overburden, the 1.75km-long soft ground drainage tunnel is going to have a 4.4m inner diameter. The design-build project also includes a launch shaft, retrieval shaft, two offline drop shafts, junction chamber, pump station, adit connections, and other associated work.
Considering the subsurface conditions it is anticipated that a pressurised face TBM will be used.
The local utility provider, DTE Energy, supplies three-phase 480V, 4.8kV, and 13.2kV services to customers in the Metro Detroit Area. MDOT wants to determine the power required for a three-phase 13.2kV primary service to provide sufficient electrical capacity to support surface works and TBM operations at the tunnel launch/mining site and proposed onsite step-down transformer capacities and configurations, including typical redundancy and protection schemes used for TBM power distribution.
In order to helping support tunnel operations and to confirm and/or refine the utility co-ordination approach for the project, the MDOT wants to gather information to help it understand the power needs from industry, through the RFI.
The deadline for responses is August 29, 2025.
