In order to construct a 5.49 m (18-foot) internal diameter tunnel for the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) of Clearwater Project in Carson towards Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro, TBM Rachel continues its operation.
While more than 600 m (2,000 feet) of this tunnel has been built already, Rachel currently is located almost 21.34 m (70 feet) deep beneath the ground and less than 800 m (0.5 mile) from Harbor Regional Park. Considering the requirement for examining the cutting discs at the front of the TBM, earlier this year Rachel halted temporarily to let a specialized crew entering a pressurized chamber behind the cutting head, whereas the tunneling process was resumed following that the maintenance work was completed. The TBM is due to take around 3.5 years to build the new 11.27 km (7-mile) tunnel.
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