Cockburn and Calrossie Sewer Relief Works
KGS Group partnered with the City of Winnipeg to study, design and implement district‑wide drainage improvements in neighbourhoods prone to annual flooding. This project was a complex, large-scale undertaking in a densely urbanized center that includes major businesses, residential homes, regional streets, and the primary rail line that bisects the City. KGS led a large team to take the project from initial concepts to practical implementation.
We developed a regional hydraulic/hydrologic model of three adjacent drainage areas and created an evaluation criterion to objectively select the drainage improvement option that considered stakeholder needs, constructability issues, future City projects and cost.
Due to the potential public impact of this project, public engagement was paramount. A public engagement strategy was developed and open houses were organized to gather public input. Once the preferred option was selected, KGS oversaw the construction of the drainage improvements. Tunneling and trenchless technologies were used to limit disruption within this dense urban community.
Project Highlights
- Development of a regional hydraulic/hydrologic model for three drainage areas
- Alternatives evaluation using stakeholder needs, constructability, future projects and costs
- First large diameter micro-tunnelling project in Manitoba (2,700 mm dia. tunnel)
- Tunneling and trenchless installations under regional streets and the primary rail line to minimize disruption
- Preparation of Geotechnical Baseline Report, a first-time application in Manitoba
- Risk sharing construction contract strategies to reduce capital costs
- Redevelopment of a historic rail yard into a storm retention basin and new public park space
Newton Force Main River Crossing
KGS Group and Associated Engineering designed and oversaw the construction of a new, 466 meter river crossing installed trenchlessly 40 meters below grade to replace the failing Newton Force Main River Crossing. This vital piece of infrastructure supports the wastewater flows from the entire Hawthorne sewer district in Winnipeg. Under dry weather conditions, the Newton Force Main River Crossing transports over 2.3 million litres of wastewater daily under the Red River.
The existing crossing was installed along the river bottom in 1978 and was connected to lands that have become densely urbanized, which limited solutions. An alternate alignment was developed to both reroute the force main and install it safely within the bedrock strata below the river.
The result is a durable, long‑term asset that improves system resilience and safeguards the environment and the community.
Project Highlights
- 466 meter river crossing installed trenchlessly, 40 meters below grade
- Horizontal directional drilling with horizontal and vertical curves – a first in Manitoba
- 780 meters of new force main on an alternate alignment in bedrock below the river
- Replaces 1978 river‑bottom crossing which lowers environmental risk and maintenance needs