Engineers OK Riverside County-O.C. tunnel to transport millions of gallons of water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 15, 2008 at 1:34 pmFrom the O.C. Register:
Results from test drillings in the Cleveland National Forest show that a tunnel could be built to transport millions of gallons of water between Riverside and Orange counties, according to a recent Metropolitan Water District report.
Last year, the district drilled two 2,000-plus-feet-deep holes to study whether a 12-mile tunnel could be constructed underneath the mountains. The findings, which were presented to a district panel this week, stated that though construction is viable, it may take longer and cost twice as much as expected to build the tunnel.
A 10- to 12-foot-diameter tunnel by today’s standards could run up to $680 million to $770 million. Construction could last between 80-90 months, or more than seven years.
Weak, squeezing ground at tunnel level, permitting requirements by the U.S. Forest Service and encroaching development could lead to longer mining time and increased construction costs, according to the report.
But don’t hold your breath on this. Tunnel won’t be built until 2040, officials say. Read the rest of this story from the O.C. Register by clicking here.
Comments
Leave a Reply