Wiles Mensch Corporation – DC (WM) provided surveying and civil engineering services associated with “cut and cover” replacement of 120-year-old railroad tunnel lying beneath the historic corridor of Virginia Avenue in Southeast Washington, DC.

Services for this project included research and compilation of historical land records on file in the Office of the Surveyor for the District of Columbia as well as the National Park Service. This research was performed in order to determine the adjacent boundaries and public space right-of-way along the one-mile-long corridor. In addition, topographic base mapping was performed to provide the Existing Conditions Plan to the engineering design team. On-Call Survey Support was continuously provided to the design team through various task orders such as (but not limited to) test pit location, utility as-builts and topographic detail and/or updates.

WM’s civil engineering tasks included conducting existing utility research and the creation of base design files. Tasks also involved water and sewer relocation design and coordination of DC Water permits and approvals. The water and sewer relocation designs included small diameter water and sewer mains as well as two large diameter water mains (20” diameter at 7th Street, SE and 30” diameter at 11th Street, SE) and a combined sewer siphon at 6th Street, SE.

Concept drawings were also provided for the relocation/modification of the Tiber Creek trunk sewer. There was also the need to coordinate the permitting of pre-construction activities such as geotechnical borings and utility test-pits. WM designed, coordinated DC Water, DOEE, NEPA, DDOT permits, and produced as-built drawings for the Virginia Avenue Tunnel Project Community Office. The team worked collectively to produce the Environmental Impact Statement that was submitted for approval. Lastly, WM coordinated with contractors to perform video investigations and vacuum excavated test pits.

Photos courtesy of: Clark Construction