Tunnel crews with Bouygues Civil Works Florida completed the last leg of mining for the second of two 4,200-ft-long tunnels for the $1-billion PortMiami tunnel project. On May 6, the project's 380-ft-long tunnel-boring machine—nicknamed Harriet—broke through for the last time, landing back on Watson Island, where it had first launched in November 2011.
After that initial launch, crews worked for nearly nine months boring the first tunnel under Biscayne Bay, breaking out on Dodge Island on July 31, 2012. At that time, crews used a giant Teflon turntable to rotate the cutterhead and shield in preparation for boring the second twin tunnel and the trip back to Watson Island.