The Harbour Island Force Main conveys approximately 30% of the City of Tampa’s wastewater through downtown Tampa to the Howard F. Curren Wastewater Treatment Facility at Port Tampa Bay. Constructed in 1951, the aging 54-inch pipeline’s lack of redundancy had to be addressed to avoid catastrophic failure and an environmental emergency. Under a progressive design-build contract, Kimmins and Wade Trim replaced 2.3 miles of pipeline while minimizing impacts to Harbour Island residents, commercial properties, Port Tampa Bay, and local tourism. The 6-year project was completed in phases: preliminary design (including an alignment study and public outreach), final design, and construction.

The challenging $83-million project included management of 20 stakeholders and coordination with six parallel projects. To avoid public inconvenience, eight trenchless installations were designed including emergency rehabilitation of 500 LF of pipe near the Tampa Convention Center, a complex horizontal directional drill beneath Garrison Channel, three jack and augers beneath CSX railroad, two jack and augers across the Port of Tampa security entrance, and a world-class microtunnel. The 3,200-LF subaqueous crossing of the Ybor Turning Basin, the longest, continuous, 78-inch steel casing microtunnel completed in the Western Hemisphere, shortened the pipeline route and minimized impacts on residents and businesses.

The progressive design-build approach enabled the City to achieve a modern, resilient, and cost-effective wastewater pipeline. The microtunneling solution overcame obstacles of navigating a densely populated, commercially essential, and geographically diverse area.

Award
ACEC Florida Grand Award for Engineering Excellence, 2025