“The 3400XL is our contractor’s vehicle of choice for getting in and out of the tunnel. Because there’s a fi ve-degree grade and the lowest point is 120 feet below sea level, we needed something quick, durable and reliable.”
— Chris Hodgkins, MAT Concessionaire, LLC
The Bobcat 3400XL utility vehicle
pictured here was one of nine Bobcat UTVs driven at the Port of Miami tunnel project, helping transport employees and materials in the tunnel and surrounding jobsite.
lanes, curbs and walkways connecting Watson Island and the Port of Miami beneath Government Cut, the main shipping channel in Biscayne Bay. Once the tunnel boring machine reaches the southern side of the cut, it will be repositioned to cut an identical 4,200-foot tunnel back to the mainland. Altogether there will be four traffi c lanes, two in each direction, to improve the traffi c fl ow between Watson Island and the Port of Miami.
MANEUVERABILITY AND EFFICIENCY UNDERGROUND
Despite its gigantic size, the workspace for support functions behind the cutter head varies from only 13- to 20-feet wide, and must be shared with water trucks, service vehicles and construction equipment. Also commanding
real estate is a conveyor system that carries approximately 1,200 tons of excavated spoil per hour beyond the entrance. The compact E50 excavator’s small stature — only 18 feet long, 6 feet 4 inches wide and 8 feet 3 inches tall — allows it to easily remove spoil that drops beneath the conveyor without disrupting other traffi c.
Bobcat 3400XL utility vehicles add more site maneuverability in the confi ned tunnel, says Chris Hodgkins, president of general contractor MAT Concessionaire, LLC. The company purchased their own 3400XL to transport crews, inspection teams and tours of visiting media and dignitaries — including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. The utility vehicle’s trim design also provides better mobility and fuel effi ciency than pickup trucks, and has a top speed of 30 mph.