Site C tunnels milestone

Excavations for Site C tunnels substantially complete: BC Hydro

Excavations for the diversion tunnels at Site C are substantially completed, BC Hydro says.

BC Hydro said contractors hit the construction milestone on Christmas Eve.

“BC Hydro remains on schedule to begin diverting the Peace River in September 2020,” the company said in an update Tuesday.

The tunnels are about 750 metres long and 11 metres in diameter; once operational, they will move 3,000 cubic metres of the Peace River per second.

That will allow contractors to move into the main channel of the river to begin building the kilometre long earthfill dam, which will stand 60 metres tall.

Work to line the tunnels with concrete is around 50% completed, BC Hydro said.

“At the same time, construction of the structures that will house the inlet gates are nearing completion; construction of the outlet gate structures will be completed once the concrete lining forms have been removed from the tunnels,” BC Hydro said.

Excavations for the tunnela began in July 2018, and contractors broke through the tunnels in summer 2019.

The river diversion will be in place until the Site C reservoir is filled in 2023, BC Hydro said.

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