BIG SAVAGE MOUNTAIN TUNNEL REHABILITATION

Somerset, Pennsylvania

The 3,300 foot Big Savage Tunnel is part of the Allegheny Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania. The trail follows the former Western Maryland Railroad right-of-way through Somerset County, PA. This trail is part of the Great Allegheny Passage, a 152 mile bicycle and walking trail that will eventually connect Pittsburgh with the C&O Canal in Cumberland, Maryland.

ACT was awarded the contract for rehabilitation of the tunnel by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of General Services. The original contract included interior and exterior trail restoration, structural tunnel relining utilizing shotcrete in conjunction with lattice girders, and minor rock bolting. At the onset of construction it was discovered that the tunnel would require a grouting program to fill voids behind the tunnel and would require a significant amount of rock bolting to stabilize the tunnel structure and surrounding rock mass. ACT along with our Design-Build Partner, Gannett Fleming, Inc.; redesigned the project.

Work included: interior and exterior trail restoration, tunnel void grouting, rock bolting, structural relining of the tunnel with shotcrete, and installation of an internal and external tunnel drainage system.

Client: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Deparment of General Services

Owner: The Pennsylvania Deparment of Conservation and Natural Resources