Hartford’s four-mile underground tunnel

According to an article in the CT Insider,  Capital Region, in 2022, a tunnel boring system called IRIS – which is a major component of MDC’s Clean Water Project that was established in connection with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – had churned its way through the Earth, 200 feet below the surface, creating a tunnel four miles long and 18-feet in diameter, which is intended to catch overflowing water across the southwest portion of Hartford.

The red cutter-head which is the front of the tunnel boring machine, was lowered 200-ft into the tunnel launch shaft on Brainard Road, Hartford, in August 2018
The red cutter head, the front of the tunnel boring machine, was lowered 200 feet into the tunnel launch shaft on Brainard Road, Hartford, in August 2018. Credit: MDC

This is a view at the bottom of the tunnel looking up toward the retrieval shaft in West Hartford. Source Credit: Contributed phone/MDC
This is a view at the bottom of the tunnel looking up toward the retrieval shaft in West Hartford. Source Credit: Contributed phone/MDC

City officials have concurred that the sewer system in Hartford is outdated – stormwater and sewage share the same pipes. IRIS was born from the challenges encountered by the MDC while trying to implement sewer separation in the Hartford community. This tunnel is the first of its kind in Connecticut. The project began in 2018, creating a tunnel that starts at Brainard Road in Hartford and ends at the MDC’s retrieval facility on Talcott Road in West Hartford.

The project is expected to be functional in 2026 after construction on the pump station is finished. When implemented, the overflowing water, upon entering the tunnel,  will be treated before being deposited into the Connecticut River.

Source Credit: Emily DiSalvo, Staff Writerhttps://www.ctinsider.com/capitalregion/article/ct-hartford-underground-tunnel-mdc-iris-18612681.php