Big Becky, the world’s largest hard-rock tunnel-boring machine, will break through to daylight on May 13 2011, after a 10.2 km journey beneath Niagara Falls, Ontario.
When completed in 2013 the Niagara Tunnel will increase the output at Ontario Power Generation's Sir Adam Beck Generating Station and provide clean, renewable energy for an additional 160,000 Ontario homes, enough to power a city similar in size to the City of Kitchener.
As Lead Consulting Engineer for the outside works, Morrison Hershfield worked with a team of renowned international and Canadian contractors and engineers led by Strabag Inc. from Austria, and provided design and engineering support during construction for the tunnel intake structures, access roads, services, stockpile area designs, and other works as part of this major project. In 2008, we were recognized with a Canadian Consulting Engineering Award of Excellence in the Water Resources and Energy Production category for our work with the Niagara Tunnel intake structures.