City leaders and state lawmakers celebrate Central City Tunnel completion

Aug 8, 2024 (MINNEAPOLIS) - Mayor Jacob Frey and Council Member Michael Rainville were joined by State lawmakers from the Minneapolis delegation to celebrate the completion of the Central City Tunnel construction, one of the largest Minneapolis Public Works projects undertaken in recent history.

The Central City Tunnel System is a system of stormwater tunnels that are built deep into the sandstone ground in Minneapolis. The tunnels are approximately 70 feet below the street surface and collect stormwater runoff for nearly all of downtown. The project included construction of a new parallel storm tunnel, enlarging a portion of the existing storm tunnel, and constructing a new tunnel access in Downtown Minneapolis.

"A stormwater tunnel might not draw the attention of something like a new stadium or a redesigned park, but the years of hard work and collaboration that went into constructing the Central City Tunnel is something to truly be admired," said Mayor Jacob Frey. "This tunnel is one of the biggest public works projects in recent years, and if you hear nothing about it after today, you know it's working for you and our city. Thank you to our incredible Public Works department for seeing this project through."

"This project was a massive undertaking, involving collaboration with City staff across multiple departments and even a neighboring jurisdiction," said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, City Operations Officer. "Our city has changed in the 150 years since this tunnel was first built. Our improvements to the Central City Tunnel system will make sure it keeps our community safe for another century."

The purpose of the project was to reduce pressure in the existing tunnel, provide more room for future growth, and to reduce the need for future repairs and tunnel failures. The first design and engagement work for the project started in Spring 2019 with construction finishing in June 2024. More than 70,000 tons of loose sandstone and shale and soil was excavated for the tunnel, which traverses over 4,200 feet in length below Washington and Chicago Avenues. The capacity of the new tunnel is 3 times the size of the existing tunnel and can hold approximately 4 million gallons of water.

"The Central City Tunnel keeps water moving to the river so people can keep moving through our city," said Angie Craft, Director of the Surface Water & Sewers division of the Minneapolis Department of Public Works. "When you add it all up, this is an investment in the future of our community that will last for generations to come."