Carlton Tunnel Rehab

Colorado’s Carlton Tunnel was constructed for rail access in the late 19th century and now serves as a water conveyance under the Busk Ivanhoe Water System Authority. Drill Tech has been contracted to perform ongoing tunnel rehabilitation to establish safe access to multiple cave-ins obstructing water flow through the tunnel’s concrete pipe. The existing tunnel has both bald headed and timber supported sections, which have degraded since their initial installation. The project goal is to increase the tunnels’ water capacity and reestablish its ability to safely support traversing service vehicles.

Drill Tech provides safe access to the tunnel’s cave-ins, removes debris to restore water flow, and replaces damaged sections of the concrete pipe with HDPE pipe. The tunnel is located at nearly 11,000-feet elevation, and the closest paved road is 14 miles away, which has caused logistical access problems that require careful coordination as materials, equipment, and staff are ferried up to the jobsite. Even before rehabilitation began, Drill Tech provided early contractor recommendations to the project’s design and construction phase services to ensure project safety and efficiency. This project remains a collaborative effort between the owner, engineers, and Drill Tech.