MILAN, April 17, 2021 – Webuild Group’s U.S. subsidiary, Lane, is preparing to start excavating the storage tunnel for the Ship Canal Water Quality Project in Seattle, Washington after having lowered down a shaft the tunnel-boring machine, recently baptised “MudHoney”.

The project, worth $570 million of which Lane has $255 million, is one of several being developed by Lane in the clean water sector in the United States. It reflects the commitment made by Webuild, a global leader in the clean water sector, to provide solutions for the sustainable management of water, such as treatment and desalination plants, and hydraulic tunnels. These works bring potable water to areas that suffer from a lack of water, while protecting others from extreme weather conditions.

In Seattle, the 4.2-kilometre tunnel will prevent up to 75 million gallons (276 million litres) of untreated stormwater and sewage from flowing into the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Salmon Bay and Lake Union every year. Known as combined sewer overflow (CSO), these untreated waters can make people sick, harm fish and wildlife. The tunnel will capture and temporarily hold more than 29 million gallons (109.8 million litres) of stormwater and sewage during heavy rains. 

Among Lane’s other projects, there is a Caloosahatchee basin storage reservoir to reduce harmful discharges into an estuary in Florida; the Three Rivers Protection & Overflow Reduction Tunnel in Ft. Wayne, Indiana; the Dugway Storage Tunnel in Cleveland, Ohio; and the Northeast Boundary Tunnel in Washington, D.C.  Webuild is ready to apply its expertise in its home market of Italy where €2.8 billion are to be invested in hydraulic infrastructure by the government of Mario Draghi. The planned investments belong to a €83-billion plan that includes sustainable mobility and projects for safety and ports.

As the United States looks at investing heavily in infrastructure, Webuild is ready to participate in the construction of public works to help the economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and create jobs. The country is the Group’s single biggest market in terms of revenue, responsible for 28% of the total in 2020. Webuild is already active in the market on roads, highways and bridges. Lane recently won the $93-million Poinciana Parkway Phase 2 design-and-build contract in Polk County, Florida, and the $176-million toll-road contract in Texas, further consolidating its leadership in road work in the country.