Build With Strength Honors Innovative Minneapolis Tunnel Project

Senior Director, Building Innovations, for NRMCA’s Build With Strength program Donn Thompson hosted a dinner last week to honor the various team members responsible for constructing the Concrete Innovation Award winning Central City Parallel Tunnel project in Minnesota. The downtown Minneapolis project was built approximately 70 feet below Washington Avenue South between Nicollet Mall and Chicago Avenue. Designed and built for the city’s Public Works Department, the project had the following goals:

• Increase the stormwater capacity of Central City tunnels responsible for collection of stormwater runoff for nearly all of downtown
• Reduce the possibility of existing infrastructure failure by reducing the pressure on the existing drainage system
• Increase capacity to accommodate future growth

Celebrated for its pioneering use of eco-friendly concrete technologies in a largescale water management infrastructure project, the project demonstrated exceptional performance of advanced concrete systems while offering environmental responsibility. NRMCA Producer member Cemstone Products Company designed and supplied 23,000 cubic yards of highly technical concrete for the project. Also honored were designer CNA Consulting Engineers, concrete contractor PCi Roads and the city of Minneapolis.

Seen here are employees of Cemstone Products, CNA Consulting Engineers and PCi Roads, with Donn Thompson at far left, after receiving their Concrete Innovation Awards. For more information, contact Donn Thompson at dthompson@nrmca.org.