Crane topples over embankment after retaining wall fails

A crane setting girders for a bridge in New Zealand toppled over as the temporary embankment it was sitting on gave way. [Source: The Landslide Blog. Image: Vertical.net]

On September 17, CALTRANS and Kiewit Pacific held a "tunnel excavation celebration" to kick off the start of tunnel construction on The Devil’s Slide Tunnels project on California State Route 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway) in San Mateo County between the town of Montara to the south and the city of Pacifica to the north. The project involves the creation of a separated two-lane road, one lane in each direction. This road will pass through twin tunnels, over twin bridges and connect with an existing non-separated two-lane road at each end. The new road will be approximately 6,500 feet long, made up of the roughly 4,000-foot twin tunnels, the 1,500-foot north approach road (which includes the 1000-foot parallel bridges), and the 1,000-foot south approach road. Upon completion, the new road will bypass geologically unstable portions of existing Route 1, sections of roadway subject to lengthy closures, high maintenance costs over the years, and risk of permanent failure. Thanks Geology.com for the heads up. [Read on for more background, photos, maps, and movies!] (Images by CALTRANS)

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Geotechnical drilling was set to begin yesterday on the 710 Tunnel Technical Study in the L.A. area. Currently the 710 freeway ends along the city of Los Angeles-Alhambra boundary but was intended to run north […]