Granite Joint Venture Awarded $325 Million Sewer Tunnel Contract in Ohio

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-10-02

A joint venture led by Granite Construction has been selected to construct the Big Creek Storage Tunnel to reduce sewer overflows into Lake Erie.

A joint venture involving Granite Construction has been awarded a $325 million contract to construct the Big Creek Storage Tunnel project in Cleveland, Ohio. The major infrastructure development aims to expand regional wastewater management capabilities and significantly reduce environmental pollution in local watersheds.

The scope of the construction project centers on the excavation of a 20-foot-diameter underground storage tunnel. Once operational, the deep tunnel system is designed to capture and temporarily store combined stormwater and wastewater during heavy rainfall events before the flow can be processed by regional treatment facilities.

Project specifications indicate that the completed tunnel will prevent approximately 550 million gallons of combined sewer overflows from entering Lake Erie and adjacent tributaries annually. The initiative forms part of a broader multi-year regional environmental compliance program intended to modernize aging municipal utility systems.

Under the contract terms, the joint venture will manage deep underground excavation work, concrete structural lining, and the construction of supporting surface drop shafts and diversion structures. Engineering crews will utilize specialized tunnel boring equipment to construct the conveyance route through solid bedrock.

Pre-construction activities and site preparation for the Big Creek Storage Tunnel will commence shortly. Construction operations are expected to extend over several years, with final commissioning scheduled following extensive operational testing.