Simerson recently completed 200 feet of restoring the tunnel. Crews bring in custom-milled timbers to support the arch and maintain gaps to allow for airflow in the wood.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.
The Friends of Sutro Tunnel and the Dayton Chamber of Commerce are holding a grand opening celebration of the Sutro Tunnel’s 200-foot extension on June 7.
Simerson Construction, responsible for the excavation, restoration and preservation work of the 3.8-mile tunnel, has completed approximately 200 feet of work as of the end of April.
The Friends nonprofit is celebrating the milestone with a community event by hosting guided tours, a poker tournament inside Sutro, live music and food on site.
“It’s been nice because it’s been challenging to find the best means and methods and the safest means and methods to get something like this, a project of this size and scope that’s historically significant to Dayton, Carson City and Nevada in general,” said Nicholas Boyles, executive administrator for Simerson, said.
Simerson Construction workers consider the restoration and preservation of the Sutro Tunnel in Dayton a passion project.
“My favorite part is to go in there and see that tape, where it's set up and see how far these guys can go,” Boyles said. “In a very short amount of time with all the work that everybody here has done. It’s something that we didn't even know if it was possible to do in the first place.”
One of the biggest challenges is working in the tunnel’s limited space using two machines at a time between excavators and skid steers to remove debris and haul it away on trailers, Boyles said. Once enough is cleared, the crews use its turtle mechanism to sustain the weight of the rock and debris overhead and to the sides. Workers move the device forward as they stabilize materials, or lagging, to support the walls and prevent further damage. Boyles said the process is completed 5 feet at a time.
The tunnel, designed by engineer Adolph Sutro, was a solution to the ore processing and water pumping from the surface that typically causes flooding in mines. It also helped with ventilation. Today, even after the Yellow Jacket Mine fire that caused the collapse and burnt timbers in 1869, running water drains at 85 gallons per minute into the Sutro Pond.
Project manager Bill Krause, who has worked in construction for about 40 years, said he enjoys the tunnel’s restoration process. The first phase has been satisfying, but there are four more sets to work on with Simerson expecting to begin working on another 100 in the fall.
Maintaining the tunnel’s moisture even with its running water is important, too, to avoid rotting. Crews bring in fans to help circulate air and keep the wood and materials dry.
“We want to keep it dry in here so this lasts,” Krause said. “It would have gone away if something hadn’t been done about it.” he said.
The Friends group continues in its tourism efforts for Sutro after hosting two community sessions in February and March in partnership with Travel Nevada. Board member Rob McFadden said the next step is to create a plan to market the Sutro Tunnel for the Destination Development Design (3D) program grant. The funding represents Travel Nevada’s destination plan to allocate a portion of $1 million in tourism funding.
“We’re very honored to be a part of preserving Nevada history,” Boyles said. “We’re excited for the potential the project has for western Nevada.”
Tickets for the Sutro Social and Cards in the Cavern event from 1 to 5 p.m. June 7 are available at tickettailor.com/events/friendsofsutrotunnel/1678796/r/mc and cost $15 per person. Children 17 and younger are free. Buy-in for the poker tournament, to be held inside the tunnel, includes full event access and costs $75. Food will be provided by Sissy’s BBQ for purchase. Check-in begins at 3 p.m.