Kiewit.com

1 of  6 :

Kiewit had established a successful mainstay in the west with construction of highways across the plains and throughout the Rocky Mountain region. When Kiewit established a district office in Sheridan, Wyoming in 1943, Kiewit managers spotted the opportunity to keep existing equipment and employees moving throughout the winter months by launching the first ever surface mine in the nation and the term – surface coal mining – was established. This surface mining technique had become a standard for the mining industry in the west. Because all area coal mines prior had existed as underground operations, Kiewit became a pioneer in the mining industry. With this new technique, Kiewit established Big Horn Coal Company in December 1943. As other mines in the area followed suit, the face of coal mining was changed forever.

Big Horn continued a successful operation for more than 55 years, implementing state-of-the-art mining techniques to mine more than 47 million tons of coal. The coal mined by Big Horn was of excellent quality and the clients were quite pleased with its combustion performance and low ash. The mine moved more than 182 million cubic yards of overburden in the process.

Although the mine’s coal production decreased in the 90s, much work remained. More than 20 million cubic yards of material were to be handled to accomplish the approved final reclamation design. A permanent 90-acre impoundment was built to serve the area as a wildlife habitat. To date, the reservoir serves as a pleasant reminder of all that Big Horn Coal Company brought to the area.

Projects

• Transportation
• Water / Wastewater
• Heavy Civil
• Power
• Oil, Gas & Chemical
• Buildings
• Mining