North Truckee Drain Realignment

The award-winning North Truckee Drain Realignment project is part of a larger, multi-community strategy to mitigate flooding along the Truckee River and its tributary rivers and streams. Led by the City of Sparks, Nevada, this part of the project was designed, in cooperation with local, state and federal stakeholders, to reverse the previous river channelization built in the 1960’s that has had negative effects on the riparian environment and river water levels.
Excavation exceeded 35 feet in some locations. Access was limited and the work zone was confined. Q&D deployed an innovative slide-rail shoring system to reduce pinning or nailing outside the right-of-way, mitigating impacts on neighboring businesses. A custom, “diverging triangle” traffic management strategy also helped provide unimpeded access for visitors and local employees.
Working close to the Truckee River required extensive groundwater mitigation measures and related coordination with the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection, the Carson-Truckee Water Conservancy District and other agencies to assure construction did not adversely impact water quality in the region.

The main structure is over one mile of 10-foot-by-14-foot concrete double box culvert. It was built using formwork designed to “jump” from one section to the next, relying on dual-purpose shoring which also supported the gantry crane used for advancing the forms. Progress was made 40 feet-at-a-time every two days and the shoring approach saved over three months from the schedule. Scope also included 800 lineal feet of 8-foot-by-8-foot box culvert, a new sewer lift station, relocation of communication, electric, gas, water, and sewer utilities, and paving and sidewalks.

Since completing construction, weather conditions have tested the drain’s redesign and realignment – it has performed better than expected.