The last breakthrough for the 3RPORT project in Fort Wayne city

Finally, after 3 years, on 30 June 2021, MamaJo TBM finished the 5 miles (7.473,39 m) length and 4.88 m (16-foot) diameter tunnel stretching from Glasgow Avenue to Foster Park and linking 14 neighborhoods on both sides of the river to Foster Park.

Once the tunnel is connected by the end of 2023, will decrease the amount of combined sewer overflow going into Fort Wayne’s rivers by 94 % which is approximately 3.22 bn liters on average each year, protecting nearly 45,000 residents and 15,000 properties from street flooding and basement back-ups. Most of the overflow will go to the Water Pollution Control Plant for treatment.

At the moment, when it rains, combined sewage overflows into the city rivers an average of 72 times per year.

This tunnel which is the Deep Rock Tunnel, is the greatest construction and public investment project in the City’s history.  The EUR159 million (USD188 million) investment is designed with a life expectancy of over 100 years. Lane Construction/S.A. Healy, and Salini Impregilo, who are the world-renowned construction contractors partnered to build the tunnel.

Quick Points to mention: 

• 7473,39 m of tunnel stretching from Glasgow Ave. to Foster Park
• 14 million tons of material have been excavated
• Once operational, the tunnel is going to decrease combined sewer overflows by 94%
• 19 January 2021 was the best day of tunnelling which they did 35.05 m
• The tunnel is 67.06 m below the ground
• The interior tunnel diameter is 4.88 m
• The tunnel is built from 4,878 rings; each is made up of six concrete segments
• 3.22 bn liters of combined sewage can travel through the tunnel each day
• MamaJo’s name was created with the first two letters from Fort Wayne’s three rivers: Ma from the St. Mary’s, Ma from the Maumee, and Jo from the St. Joseph
• Estimated time for completing the projects is 2023

Six Adits – Connections from the bottom of shaft to tunnel are:

• DS (Drop Shaft) Thieme Drive (#5) under construction completion in September 2021
• The Deep Dewatering Pump Station which is near Water Pollution Control Plant and will lift flow from tunnel and lead it to storage ponds or treatment plant. Its construction will start in summer.
• Consolidation Sewers – Near-surface sewers built to collect sewage from several existing sewers to divert it from the rivers and convey it to the drop shaft and on to the tunnel.
• Consolidation sewers still under construction at DS9 – Headwater Park West, DS12 – East Central Park
• Consolidation sewers under design at DS3 – Brown Street, DS6 – Camp Allen, DS7 – Guldlin Park
• Restoration work throughout

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