Brightwater Ballinger Portal

By Diane Hettrick

I wondered why a plywood wall had gone up at the site of the Brightwater Ballinger Portal in the Ballinger business district, and why there was a large crane on site.

According to my contact at Brightwater, they are getting ready to remove the tunnel boring machine. Her name is Elizabeth and she has performed flawlessly, digging her tunnel from Point Wells to Ballinger, unlike the other machines with male names. Not that names have anything to do with performance, of course.

My contact says that it will require a very large crane, generators, and other equipment, as the shaft is 220 feet deep. The plywood fence is to reduce noise from the equipment. Wonder how that's working?

Brightwater staff are not sure of the date when removal will begin but should know more soon, and have promised to give me wonderful photos of the removal process.