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Engineering Feats
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The International Tunnel
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Completed in 1930, this remains
the only underwater vehicular tunnel ever built between two
nations. It was completed in 26 months at a cost of $23
Million. |
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Design and construction of the
tunnel was an engineering feat unparalleled at the time, using
three different tunneling methods. |
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The river section of the tunnel
was constructed using the "trench-and-tube" method. Nine
sections of concrete tube, each 31 feet in diameter, were
towed into the river on barges and sunk into a trench.
Divers then bolted the sections together and cemented the
joints. |
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The tunnel project was twice
started and abandoned. In the first attempt in 1871, a
pocket of sulphurous gas ended the project when workers
refused to return to work. The second try in 1878 failed
when limestone formations were encountered. |
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When the project was proposed
again in 1919, scientific experts predicted that anyone using
the tunnel would die of carbon monoxide poisoning. The
CO problem was solved by installing a massive 1.5 MMscf/min
ventilation system, capable of one complete air change in the
tunnel every 90 seconds. |
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What was this modern engineering
marvel? |
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The
Detroit-Windsor tunnel, connecting Canada and the U.S., is the only
international underwater vehicular tunnel in the world. The tunnel
accommodates about 28,000 vehicles per day on its 22 foot wide roadway.
Fast Facts
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Completed: |
1930 |
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Construction Cost: |
$23 Million |
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Length of Tunnel: |
5,160 feet |
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Length of River Section: |
2,220 feet |
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Width of Roadway: |
22 feet |
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Maximum Depth of Roadway: |
75 feet |
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Traffic Capacity: |
2,000 vehicles/hour |
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Ventilation Rate: |
1.5 million cubic ft/hr |
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