New IrvingtonTunnel

Owner: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Client: Hatch Mott MacDonald
Project Cost: $318  million
Duration: Fall 2010 – Fall 2014
Tunnel Length: 3.5 miles
Key Stakeholders: City of Fremont, County of Alameda, Caltrans, Alameda County Water District, Alameda County residents
Key Services: Communications; Quality Assurance, Tunnel Inspection

The Thier Group is responsible for communications planning, community engagement and media relations for the construction of the New Irvington Tunnel Project.  The New Irvington Tunnel is a seismically-designed connection between water supplies from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Alameda Watershed to Bay Area water distribution systems. The new tunnel runs 3.5 miles and has an internal diameter of approximately 8.5 to 10.5 feet. It lays parallel to the existing tunnel between the Sunol Valley south of Highway I-680 and Fremont, California.

The Thier Group was instrumental in developing the project’s award winning Groundwater Management Program.  The team worked side-by-side with residents to resolve environmental and public outreach challenges.  The result was a marriage of good engineering, public educations and a collaborative relationship with community stakeholders.  The Thier Group also provides quality assurance and tunnel inspection services.  Our onsite tunnel inspector monitors construction activities to ensure the contractor is performing to specifications and plans.  Responsibilities include quality assurance inspection of contractor drilling and grouting contact holes, drilling and grouting consolidation holes.

Awards & Recognition
2012 Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) – Outstanding Award for Public Education/Public Involvement