EM crews replaced a large culvert along a road at the West Valley Demonstration Project where heavy equipment will transport waste containers during the teardown of the Main Plant Process Building.
Office of Environmental Management
March 8, 2022
minute read time
WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM crews replaced a large culvert along a road at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) where heavy equipment will transport waste containers during the teardown of the Main Plant Process Building. Starting demolition of that facility is an EM 2022 priority.
Crews with WVDP prime contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) used a 235-ton crane to place each section of the culvert safely, and an excavator to install the pieces that provide end support for the culvert superstructure.
“The completion of this culvert project was the result of proper planning, teamwork and safe execution from the dedicated individuals who work at the site,” said Paul Fintak, CHBWV subcontractor technical support. “This new culvert will ensure that this roadway remains safe and can handle heavy-duty equipment for current and future cleanup operations.”
The culvert work is the latest in a series of projects to prepare for the Main Plant teardown. In recent months, EM and CHBWV have redesigned an office building and former storage facility to support operations during demolition.
In the culvert project, workers installed six precast concrete sections, each weighing an average of 16,000 pounds, along 40 feet of the culvert. The end-support pieces were constructed using 72 blocks weighing between 300 and 2,600 pounds, depending on their engineered function and location.
The roadway will see a continuous flow of heavy-duty fork trucks transporting empty waste containers to the demolition site and bringing full containers to the rail line at the site for shipment to an offsite disposal facility.
WVDP resumed use of the rail line in June to ship soil and other materials from construction of a groundwater treatment system installed to mitigate a groundwater plume that originated from historical releases at the Main Plant.
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environmental Management, submit your e-mail address.