Colorado River Return Project

• Year: 2002
• Title: Colordao River Return Project
• Author: Boyle Engineering Corporation
• Description: Colorado River Return Project
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

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Relevant Features to
CRRP
0 Geologic Mapping
0 Tunnel Design
121 Preparation of
Geotechnical
Reports for
._ Construction
Hanging Lahe Tunnels
Colorado Department of Transportation
Jack Gay
(970) 945 -6889
Project Description
The Hanging Lake Tunnels were constructed as part of Interstate Highway 70 through
Glenwood Canyon, Colorado. The tunnels were constructed to allow the highway to
bypass Hanging Lake, one of the most popular parks in Colorado. The tunnels are
located along the Colorado River, in the bottom of a very rugged and 3000 -foot
deep canyon. A total of 4 tunnels, each about 52 feet in diameter, were excavated
in metamorphic rock using drill and blast methods from a staging area in Cinnamon
Creek. The tunnels were connected with a central cut and cover section in
Cinnamon Creek to form two approximately 4000 -foot long tunnels, including one
tunnel for two east bound lanes and one tunnel for the two west bound lanes of the
highway. The highway extends from each tunnel portal onto a bridge used to span
the Denver and Rio Grande railroad tracks and the Colorado River.
URS developed a geotechnical investigation program associated with the construction
of a pilot bore, located along the eastbound tunnel alignment. URS conducted in
situ testing in the tunnel and installed instrumentation in the tunnel during
construction. URS personnel worked with CDOT engineers and geologists to obtain
information from the pilot bore that was used for design of the full sized tunnels. URS
designed initial reinforcement and support systems for the full sized tunnels that were
used for the range of rock mass conditions encountered. URS provided construction
management services during work on the full sized tunnels.
The Glenwood Canyon Project as awar
Civil Engineers as the outstanding civil
States. URS takes pride in this award,
innovative, cost - saving reinforced arch
Hanging Lake tunnels. The
design concepts developed for
this project have served as
models for other highway tunnel
projects designed by URS and
others, including the Keystone
Tunnel, South Dakota, the ELK
Creek Tunnel, Oregon (both
URS design projects), the Trans -
Koolau Tunnels, Hawaii, and the
Cumberland Gap Tunnels,
Tennessee.
ded top honors by the American Society of
engineering project in 1993 in the United
and in receiving national acclaim for our
design methodologies developed for the
MOVLE