Drilling a Tunnel From Kailua to Kaneohe

This tunnel-boring machine, with a 13-foot diameter, will cut its way through basalt rock to create a 3.1-mile tunnel that will bring sewage from the Kaneohe pre-treatment plant to the Kailua treatment plant. The estimated cost of the project is $175 million. The open compartments on the face of the machine are designed to hold the cutters that chip away rock. Meeting in Kailua to discuss the project are Honolulu city inspector Kel Miyaoka (white hard hat), senior project engineer Quang Tran (red hard hat) and master mechanic Richard Boutelle (gold hard hat), both of Southland Contracting. The machine was specially designed to excavate a curved tunnel to avoid populated areas.