As work begins on the upstream portal of the inlet/outlet tunnel, a roadheader will be utilized for mining. It runs off electricity on a slow-moving track and is braced by two pistons on its back. Within an 8-hour cycle, the roadheader will shave off approximately 15-feet of thumb-sized sandstone rocks. The equipment has extendable arms on its loading apron to collect the shaved rocks to be collected and discarded. 

This piece of equipment is only 4-feet tall, 6-feet wide and 20-feet long. Even though this machine is not the largest at Chimney Hollow Reservoir, it weighs approximately 35 tons. The roadheader is ideal for mining smaller spaces and is an alternative for routine blasting. Mining will occur at night and braces will be installed throughout the day to support the tunnel’s construction. 

Roadheaders are unique machines and are difficult to find new. Traditionally, they are used for many years on multiple projects with only the moving parts being replaced as needed. Despite its used appearance, the roadheader on site at Chimney Hollow Reservoir was recently rebuilt, so all the moving parts are new. In fact, this same roadheader was used for a project on Carter Lake in 2012!