Tunneling a West Virginia Dam: A Modern John Henry Story

James N. Gagliardi, P.E. (Brayman Construction Corporation) and Ryan D. Haynes, P.E. (USACE) delivered this presentation at the 2025 USSD Conference.

Introduction

As part of the ongoing rehabilitation at Bluestone Dam, a new tunnel was required to connect the existing dam drainage gallery to the new stilling basin divider wall gallery. Because of the difficult geometry, required work sequencing, and relatively small size of the tunnel, modern tunneling techniques were precluded requiring tremendous amounts of manual labor.

Project Background

Bluestone Dam is a concrete gravity flood control structure constructed, owned, and operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). It is located in Summers County, WV, on the New River, less than ten miles from the John Henry Railroad Tunnel site on the C&O Mainline. The current project, Phase 5, is focused on rebuilding the primary spillway stilling basin and is the final phase of a multi-decade dam rehabilitation program in the New River and Kanawha River basins.

The tunnel is part of a staged construction process. First, a temporary cellular cofferdam was constructed to bifurcate the spillway. The right side of the spillway stilling basin was then dewatered to allow for the installation of a permanent divider wall, a reinforced concrete bottom and new baffle blocks. These features are being anchored with high-capacity multi-strand rock anchors. Once complete, the temporary cofferdam will be removed, the right side will be re-watered, and the rehabilitation will be started on the left side of the spillway.

Construction Details and Challenges

The new tunnel is about 100 feet long and includes two 45-degree bends. In the interest of dam safety, the new tunnel is not allowed to break through the dam’s downstream face and connect to the new divider wall gallery until that portion of the new spillway is complete and functional. As such, all work had to be accessed through the existing dam gallery. This meant all the tools, personnel, equipment, and fresh air had to be supplied through the same access the demolition debris had to exit through. Access to the work area was about a five-hundred-foot walk through the existing dam gallery, including two flights of stairs. Adjacent to the stairs is a vertical hoist-way for materials and equipment.

Before and after bid time, the contractor was unable to find interested tunneling subcontractors to perform the work. The cross-section geometry of the tunnel, the relatively short length, the two bends, and the requirement to work from the inside of the dam eliminated many options e.g. a micro-tunneling TBM. The finished height of the tunnel is 8-feet with a width of 6-feet and radiused roof. Over excavation of the floor is required to allow the placement of a gutter and other features. Also, a larger cross section is required at both ends of the tunnel to allow for the installation of watertight doors.

The tunnel was advanced by line drilling the perimeter with electric diamond core drills. Concrete was removed with a small electric demolition robot equipped with a hydraulic breaker and milling head. All of the demolition debris was carted away with wheelbarrows, pushed through the existing gallery and hoisted two stories to the dam gallery exit. A typical cross section is shown in Figure 2.

While the project specifications allowed for the existing concrete to be the final finished surface of the tunnel, the tight tolerances required and the large aggregate size, up to 6-inches, made precision demolition impractical. As such, a dry-mix shotcrete subcontractor was hired to place back the finished surface of the tunnel.

Safety Considerations

Adhering to the updated OSHA Silica requirements was a challenging aspect of the project. A combination of ventilation, monitoring, wet suppression, and testing were employed to effectively control the hazards of working in a confined environment. When wet suppression was not feasible, personnel protective equipment (PPE), including powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR), was used to ensure the safety of the workers. Both are shown in Figure 3. During the demolition, the only access for ventilation was through the existing dam instrumentation gallery.

Conclusions

At the time of submission, the tunnel excavation was substantially complete except for breaking through to the downstream face of the dam. This cannot be completed until the new concrete divider wall is completed.

From blank-sheet concept to finished product, the I-77 over Route 606 South Gap Bridge Replacement sprinted from proposal kickoff in November 2022 to substantial completion in June 2025, a full five months ahead of the November 6 contract completion date. The early delivery secured 100% of VDOT’s “no-excuses” early-completion incentive, marking a major milestone for Brayman’s first VDOT design-build.

How we beat the deadline:

Relentless scheduling. From day one, the Team operated with urgency, completing proposal development, conceptual design, and pricing in just three months. Key design decisions were made to avoid long-lead environmental permitting, and utility coordination was fast-tracked to accelerate the start of construction. The NTP was issued in March 2023, and construction commenced by October.

Phased for speed. Strategic sequencing allowed the Team to demo and rebuild the bridge in two major phases, keeping traffic moving while maintaining production momentum. Phase 1 cleared the way for half of the new, wider structure to be erected quickly, while Phase 2 carried the project through to its final completion. Alongside the bridge work, the Team widened 1,600 LF of I-77 and constructed Brayman’s first-ever reinforced soil slope, a critical structural element that now supports the expanded roadway and showcases our growing in-house design-build capabilities.

Creative access planning. The sharp interstate curve made traditional overhead access at the abutments unsafe and unworkable during Phase 2. Nearly all materials, equipment, and personnel had to be brought in from below, a challenge met with resourceful planning and precise field execution. The Team engineered a custom below-deck access and work plan that enabled the safe and efficient construction of structural steel, deck, and MSE walls, all from underneath, without disrupting live interstate traffic.

Execution under pressure. From unforgiving weather to unexpected site conditions, the Team faced pressure from every angle—and delivered. Challenging subsurface conditions impacted driven foundation piling. Flooding disrupted work during the box culvert wingwall replacement. And a mid-project change in concrete supplier threatened to derail critical path operations. Through it all, the Team responded with real-time adjustments and relentless tenacity, reworking sequences, maintaining momentum, and never giving back a day.

South Gap isn’t just another bridge; it’s proof that Brayman is a serious player in VDOT’s alternative-delivery arena. With the early-finish bonus in the bank and a strong relationship built with the owner, the playbook forged here is already fueling momentum on our Bristol-Salem Bridge Bundle Design-Build and setting the tone for future success across Virginia.

Stay tuned—Team Brayman’s just getting started.

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We are honored to be recognized by the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania with the 2024 Project of the Year Award for Alternative Delivery for our work on the I-64 Kanawha Bridge.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $769.9-million contract to a joint venture of Trumbull Corp. and Brayman Construction Corp. to build a new lock chamber at the Montgomery Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Monaca, PA.

Brayman Construction and Trumbull Corporation are proud to announce a five-year Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Strategic Partnership for the Bayfront Parkway Improvement Project in Erie, PA. This is the longest OSHA Partnership in Erie’s history, reflecting a strong commitment to workplace safety and health.

The goals of this partnership include reducing the total number of days away from work injury and illness cases by 3%, controlling workplace hazards by assisting contractors with the implementation of an effective safety and health management system, conduct weekly self-inspections to reduce exposure of workers to safety and health hazards, and to maintain a continuous dialog that support various safety and health campaigns/initiatives.

“At Brayman, safety is not just a policy; it’s our way of life. This partnership with OSHA and Trumbull Corporation reinforces our long-standing dedication to ensuring the highest safety standards,” said Stephen Muck, Chairman and CEO of Brayman Construction.

Mark Gentile, President of Trumbull Corporation, added, “Our partnership with Brayman Construction has been built over several successful projects, each reinforcing our shared commitment to delivering a safe project. This partnership with OSHA, is another step in our collaborative journey, reflecting Safety as a shared core value, in every aspect of our work.”

“Securing an OSHA Strategic Partnership reflects our continual efforts to lead the industry in safety practices,” stated Angela Ravenscroft, Corporate Safety Director at Brayman Construction. “This achievement is another milestone in our ongoing mission to provide a safe working environment for everyone.”

Christopher Snedden, Assistant Area Director for OSHA stated, “Anytime OSHA and responsible contractors from the private sector can work together to minimize hazards in the workplace and decrease the number of injuries, the result is always positive. We commend Brayman Construction and Trumbull Corporation for taking a proactive approach in prioritizing safety and committing to ensuring safe working conditions.”

The Bayfront Parkway Improvement Project, valued at $111.7 million, aims to strengthen the connectivity within the city of Erie by enhancing accessibility and safety for all its users. This project is not just an infrastructural development; it’s a step towards a safer, more connected community.

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About Trumbull Corporation:

Trumbull Corporation is an award-winning industry leader in heavy civil construction, having built hundreds of bridges, highway projects, tunnels, excavation, locks, dams, well pad construction, pipeline installation, and utilities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Our world-class team is known for taking extra measures to ensure our work is thorough and accurate.

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About OSHA:

In 1970, the United States Congress and President Richard Nixon created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a national public health agency dedicated to the basic proposition that no worker should have to choose between their life and their job. The OSHA law makes it clear that the right to a safe workplace is a basic human right. Together with our state  partners, OSHA has tackled fatal safety hazards and health risks. We have established common sense standards and enforced the law against those who put workers at risk. Our standards, enforcement actions, compliance assistance and cooperative programs have saved thousands of lives and prevented countless injuries and illnesses.

Although our task is far from complete, our progress gives us hope and confidence that OSHA will continue to make a lasting difference in the lives of our nation’s workers, their families and their communities.

A Brayman and Trumbull joint venture project just celebrated the start of our Bayfront Parkway Improvement Project in Erie, PA.

“Construction will be completed in six phases over approximately four years. It will start at the Sassafras Street Extension intersection before the end of September and is expected to conclude with the construction of the pedestrian bridge at Holland Street.”

Brayman Construction & Trumbull, A Joint Venture, is making headway on I-64 for West Virginia Department of Transportation. This project includes widening 5 miles of highway from two lanes into three lanes as well as constructing a new bridge over the Kanawha River.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a jobsite? One of our projects Charleroi Locks and Dam got a backstage tour. Check out the feature on how the operations of this unique dam work.

Brayman’s road slip repair along Pine Creek just north of Jersey Shore, PA, is nearing completion, with most of the 2024 crew returning for the 2025 construction season. Because Route 44 serves as the primary access road to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, a summer camping and fishing destination, it was essential to keep the road open throughout construction. Limited access and lane restrictions along one of Pennsylvania’s premier trout streams added to the project’s complexity.

The overall Project scope includes installation of 75,000 SF of galvanized wire mesh, 6,300 SF of rockfall anchorage wire mesh, 5,000 LF of 40/20mm hollow bar anchors, and 23,500 LF of #10 solid bar anchors. During the first phase, the Team stabilized the roadway with a 13-foot-high by 1600-foot-long shotcrete wall. Over 750 CY of high-strength shotcrete now support the re-established road surface, utility poles, and guiderails.

The newly completed wall also created a lower access working bench, providing drill crews with the space needed to safely complete the remaining work. In the final phase, the team will install hollow bar anchors and slope stability mesh to complete the project.

This past July marked Brayman’s one-year anniversary on the Potomac River Tunnel (PRT) Project, the final stage of DC Water’s combined sewer overflow upgrade. Brayman was selected by CBNA-Halmar Clean Rivers Joint Venture to install all Support of Excavation(SOE) systems and Deep Foundations for the $819M program. The project scope includes secant piles, drilled shafts, micropiles, grouting, and sheet pile driving at seven locations along the Potomac River in the heart of Washington, D.C. Work began in July 2024 and is scheduled to continue through 2028.  

The primary focus to date has been at the West Potomac Park site, located in the shadows of the Lincoln Memorial, where two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will launch in opposite directions to complete approximately five miles of excavation. Two secant pile shafts have been completed at this site to provide access for lowering the TBMs. These secant piles were constructed with 1,180mm segmental casing to depths of 70 feet, meeting a 0.5%verticality tolerance.  

Additionally, completed work has included a sheet pile coffer cell, a micropile A-wall, and deep foundations for two bridges and a near-surface structure. The coffer cell was built to support excavation for the near-surface structure and river outfall, using over 500 pairs of sheets driven as deep as 70 feet to rock. The A-wall was built at site 022 near the Watergate Hotel to stabilize the site for heavy equipment and protect the historic seawall along the river. Deep foundation work for the bridges was completed in 2024, allowing for traffic changes and avoiding the construction zone. Deep foundations for the near-surface structure required 171 drilled shafts installed with 750mm segmental casing. A full-scale static load test was completed at the start of this work, successfully applying 1,500 kips to the sacrificial pile.  

Before the end of the year, secant pile shaft construction will begin at two additional locations, expanding the team’s efforts across three sites. Toe grouting and additional sheet pile driving are scheduled for completion in 2025.

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The Brayman team continues to work toward completing the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Hospital Soil Nail and Soldier Pile Support of Excavation (SOE) Project in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

The project consists of several SOE systems, for which Brayman is providing efficient and cost-effective solutions for the owner. The primary SOE for the new hospital bed tower comprises a large soil nail and a shotcrete wall to support the excavation. Our Team will have installed over 1,450 nails (totaling 62,000 linear feet of drilling) and 33,000square feet of shotcrete, making it one of the most significant soil nail projects in Brayman’s history. Currently, approximately 90% of the drilling and shotcrete work has been completed. Additionally, eleven canopy caissons and 38 soldier beams for the new Emergency Department ambulance entrance have already been installed.

The Team is especially proud of completing a section of design-build underpinning at the northwest corner of the existing hospital. This section of SOE was critical for maintaining the structural safety and integrity of the hospital as excavation for the new bed tower progressed to deeper elevations. The design of this section was delegated to the selected SOE contractor. Through close collaboration with Tunstall Engineering, the Team designed and installed a bracketed micropile underpinning system to support the existing footings. A total of nine 7-inch micropiles with specially designed brackets were installed to depths exceeding 110-FT. As excavation progressed, soil nails and shotcrete were added to stabilize the exposed surfaces below the existing footings. Sixty-three nails were installed to depths of 50 linear feet, and 14 inches of shotcrete were applied to complete the underpinning structure.

The crew battled through unusually harsh winter conditions and is now facing extreme summer heat and humidity, making jobsite safety an even higher priority. The project continues to grow, with several additions to the SOE scope awarded to us as construction access needs evolve. The Team remains diligent and committed to completing the work safely and efficiently.