(Washington, DC) – On or about May 26, 2021, between 11 pm and 1 am, the 74-ton main drive of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) will be hauled away from DC Water’s R Street, NW construction site. The main drive is the TBM part that powers the cutterhead to spin and cut into the ground. Between May and June, the contractor is disassembling the TBM and hauling approximately 20 parts to the project construction site near RFK Stadium. Chris, as the TBM is known, completed excavating the five-mile Northeast Boundary Tunnel in April.

The main drive is the heaviest part of the TBM to be hauled through the District and requires additional space, a bigger crane and larger truck to complete the work. In cooperation with the District Department of Transportation, 6th Street, NW between Rhode Island Avenue and R Street, will be closed for 24-hours beginning on March 26 at 12:00 pm. Eastbound Rhode Island Avenue between 7th Street, NW and 6th Street, NW will temporarily be reduced to one travel lane for up to 4 hours as the crane is assembled. The crane will then be used to lift the main drive from the drop shaft to ground level. Around 11 pm, Rhode Island Avenue between 7th Street, NW and 6th Street, NW will be closed in both directions as the main drive is loaded onto the truck for hauling. There will be some locations along the haul route where the truck will use the opposing traffic lanes to maneuver turns. The haul truck will be escorted by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

Temporary Road Closures 
•    6th Street, NW between Rhode Island Avenue and R Street will be closed for 24-hours.
•    R Street, NW will remain closed between 6th Street and Rhode Island Avenue.
•    6th Street, NW will be closed between Q Street and R Street.
•    Rhode Island Avenue will be reduced to one lane between 7th Street, NW and 6th Street, NW starting at 12:00 pm for up to 4-hours and then will be reopened until it is time to load the transport at 11:00 pm.
•    Rhode Island Avenue will be closed between 7th Street< NW and 6th Street, NW starting at 11:00 pm to load the transport; afterward, Rhode Island Avenue will be reopened.

Detours
Please follow the detour signage associated with each road closure. Once the transport truck has been loaded, the contractor will reopen the travel lanes along Rhode Island Avenue and 6th Street. R Street, NW will remain closed, except for the bike lane.

Haul Route
The truck route begins at the R Street construction site at Rhode Island Avenue, NW near 6th Street, heads south on Florida Avenue, NW to New York Avenue, NE. The trucks will merge onto I-295, exit on East Capitol Street, SE, and stop at the project construction site near parking lot 8 of RFK Stadium. 

Project Details
The Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT) is the largest component of the Clean Rivers Project. It begins south of RFK Stadium and extends north to Rhode Island Avenue NE and west to 6th Street NW. The tunnel was excavated by “Chris” the tunnel boring machine (TBM). Its five-mile journey began in 2018 at the CSO 019 construction site located south of the RFK Stadium. It reached its destination in the Shaw neighborhood in April 2021.  Once the NEBT is connected to the other Clean Rivers tunnels, combined sewer overflows to the Anacostia River will be reduced by 98 percent. In addition to controlling combined sewer overflows, the construction of the Northeast Boundary Tunnel will reduce the chance of flooding in the areas it serves from approximately 50 to 7 percent in any given year.

For more information
Email: dccleanrivers@dcwater.com
24/7 NEBT Hotline: (800) 988-6151
Northeast Boundary Tunnel Project Website: dcwater.com/NEBT