Fans Installed in Caldecott Fourth Bore as Project Nears Completion
Although fanfare will come at the completion of the project, actual fans are in the process of being installed inside the Caldecott Tunnel’s Fourth Bore.
The 19 jet fans will run along the entirety of the ¾ mile bore, which stretches from Orinda to Oakland. They will be automatically triggered by linear heat detectors, and carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide detectors inside the tunnel. The purpose of the fans is to move smoke and carbon monoxide out of the tunnel and to direct fresh air in, said Fourth Bore Public Information Officer Ivy Morrison. They will be able to move air in one direction or bi-directionally, depending on the location of the fire.
The installation of the jet fans is part of the Fourth Bore Project’s final phase of construction. The massive addition to the Caldecott Tunnel is 80 percent complete and is on track to open to the public by the end of the year. In the upcoming months, tunnel crews will put finishing touches on the roadway, which they began paving in April, and install additional fire prevention and response systems. Meanwhile, a sculptor has fabricated glass fiber reinforced concrete interpretations of medallions designed by local youth, which will soon decorate the east and west portals of the bore.
MTC is a major funder of the $402 million Fourth Bore project.
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