Water Resources

Location

Las Vegas, NV

Owner

Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA)

Contractor

Kiewit-led Joint Venture

Value

$83 million

In December 1997, an internal joint venture led by Kiewit Construction Company, a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, was selected to construct the $83 million Lake Mead Intake No. 2 Project. The project was a significant part of the 15-year, $2.2 billion new water delivery and treatment system planned by the Southern Nevada Water Authority to alleviate projected water shortages in the Las Vegas valley.

This 40-month project involved construction of a 600 MGD intake on Saddle Island. The intake is a 12-ft.-dia. shaft positioned 240 ft. below Lake Mead's surface. The project involved construction of an intake tunnel connecting to a forebay chamber and a 2,580-ft. tunnel through a nearby mountain range. Crews installed a pipeline from Saddle Island to the mainland and a power crossing.

The project began with creating a pad for the access shaft construction, forebay wellshaft drilling operation and the future pump station. The second stage of construction required excavation for the surge chamber, the surge chamber access adit and the shaft. Crews completed the excavation using divers and a remote-operated vehicle. The access shaft connects with the access tunnel 330 ft. below the lake's surface.