Tunnel borer has drilled through its final stretch

Derek Kreider

Akron Beacon Journal

USA TODAY NETWORK

Seven months after beginning its journey, Elaine the tunnel boring machine has completed its subterranean mission drilling out the Northside Interceptor Tunnel (NSIT).

The 16.5-foot diameter, 10.3-million-gallon storage tunnel will hold and convey combined sewage during heavy rain events until it can be treated at the city’s water reclamation facility. The city said in a news release Elaine finished the tunnel on Nov. 12. By December 2026, the city expects the tunnel to be in service and fully operational.

The NSIT is the next-to-last project required by Akron’s federal consent decree with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. EPA. The city has asked to be excused from the final project, construction of a new water treatment plant, in a challenge that has reached the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The court has referred the parties to mediation.

'The city’s first tunnel, the (Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel), has had significant positive impacts to both our waterways and our residents,' said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik. 'During heavy rain events, we are able to keep 467 million gallons of combined sewer overflow out of our waterways. With the addition of the NSIT, we will be able to capture and treat 99.7% of combined sewer overflow events in a typical year.'

Originally planned as a 20-foot tunnel spanning 10,000 feet long to hold 23 million gallons, the city sought the support of Ohio EPA and the United States EPA to 'right-size' the NSIT to provide similar environmental impacts at a fraction of the cost to ratepayers. In April 2023, the court issued an order amending the city’s consent decree to save ratepayers $40 million in costs.

'The boring machine was named ‘Elaine’ in honor of the tireless advocacy of Elaine Marsh,' the city said 'who worked with communities, regulators, and local governments to do the complex, collaborative work of dam removal and waterway renewal all along the Cuyahoga River. '

Crews will now work to complete the tunnel shafts and finalize connections to the tunnel before it goes into operation. To learn more about the city’s work on the consent decree, visit www.akronwaterwaysrenewed.com.