The Tunnel and Reservoir Plan is a large civil engineering project in metropolitan Chicago intended to reduce flooding and limit the harmful effects of flushing raw sewage into Lake Michigan by diverting storm water and sewage into holding reservoirs. Commissioned in the mid 1970s and managed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, it ranks among the largest civil engineering projects ever undertaken by scope, cost and timeframe, with more than three billion dollars spent across thirty years of construction and full completion not expected until 2032.
Facts
YearPhase 1 (109.4 miles of tunnels) was adopted in 1972, commenced in 1975 and was completed and operational by 2006; the full system, including the Phase 2 reservoirs, is not expected to be complete until 2032. SignificanceThe megaproject is one of the largest civil engineering projects ever undertaken in terms of scope, cost and timeframe. 1 FAQs
Is the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan finished?
The tunnels have operated since 2006, but the McCook Reservoir still has one stage to finish.
The tunnel half is finished and the reservoir half is not. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago reports that the four tunnel systems, about 110 miles in total, were all operating by 2006. The reservoirs came later: the Gloria Alitto Majewski Reservoir was completed in 1998 and the Thornton Reservoir in 2015. The McCook Reservoir is being built in two stages. The first stage began operating in 2017, and the plan reaches its full storage capacity only when the second stage is complete.
Sources
1. Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationStatus section
Phase 1, the creation of 109.4 miles of drainage tunnels ranging from 9 to 33 feet in diameter, up to 350 feet underground, was adopted in 1972, commenced in 1975, and completed and operational by 2006.
Lead section, para 1
The megaproject is one of the largest civil engineering projects ever undertaken in terms of scope, cost and timeframe.
status sentence
Commissioned in the mid 1970s and managed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, it ranks among the largest civil engineering projects ever undertaken by scope, cost and timeframe, with more than three billion dollars spent across thirty years of construction and full completion not expected until 2032.
In Group: Water Supply and Sewer Systems, Introduction
The Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (abbreviated TARP and more commonly known as the Deep Tunnel Project or the Chicago Deep Tunnel) is a large civil engineering project that aims to reduce flooding in the metropolitan Chicago area, and to reduce the harmful effects of flushing raw sewage into Lake Michigan by diverting storm water and sewage into temporary holding reservoirs.
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