Olmos Water Transfer Project
Diverting water from the Andes to transform 20,000 hectares of desert into productive agricultural land.
Project Overview
The Olmos Water Transfer Project is one of the most significant water infrastructure developments executed in Peru. The project’s objective was to divert water from the Huancabamba River in the Andes Mountains to the arid coastal region, enabling large-scale agricultural development and economic growth.
The project included the construction of a 20-kilometer water transfer tunnel crossing the Andes mountain range, a 45-meter-high dam, spillway structures, diversion works, and associated hydraulic infrastructure. The entire project, including testing and commissioning, was successfully completed in four years.
Today, the project provides water resources that have transformed more than 20,000 hectares of desert into productive agricultural land and generated over 65,000 direct jobs.
Challenge
The Olmos Project presented extraordinary engineering, construction, and project management challenges.
Extreme Tunnel Conditions
A 20-kilometer tunnel had to be excavated through the Andes Mountains under highly complex geological conditions. One of the most remarkable aspects of the project was the tunnel overburden, which reached approximately 2 kilometers of rock cover above the tunnel alignment—one of the highest rock cover conditions encountered in tunnel construction worldwide. During excavation, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) became trapped on two separate occasions due to major collapses and ground instability inside the tunnel, creating significant risks to schedule and project completion.
Dam Construction Window
The 45-meter-high dam could only be constructed during the dry season when river flows were at their lowest levels. This imposed an extremely demanding schedule, requiring the entire dam construction to be completed within a six-month execution window.
River Diversion and Spillway Construction
The spillway and hydraulic structures required innovative sequencing because river flows had to be temporarily conveyed through the bottom outlet structure while permanent works were completed. Maintaining river control while advancing construction activities represented a major logistical and operational challenge.
Schedule and Coordination Complexity
The project involved simultaneous execution of tunneling, hydraulic structures, dam works, mechanical systems, and commissioning activities under strict contractual deadlines and highly constrained site conditions.
GMCi Approach
GMCi leadership participated in the planning, monitoring, and project controls functions supporting the successful delivery of this complex infrastructure program. Key contributions included:
Advanced Project Planning
Development and maintenance of integrated project schedules. Coordination of critical-path activities across multiple construction fronts. Schedule forecasting and milestone management.
Project Controls & Monitoring
Progress measurement and performance tracking. Identification of schedule risks and recovery opportunities. Executive reporting and decision-support information.
Risk Management
Evaluation of potential impacts associated with tunneling challenges. Monitoring of recovery plans following TBM entrapment events. Continuous assessment of schedule-critical activities.
Resource & Productivity Control
Monitoring workforce productivity. Tracking construction performance across multiple disciplines. Supporting optimization of construction sequencing.
Construction Intelligence
Providing management teams with reliable project visibility. Supporting proactive decision-making through performance analytics and forecasting.
Results
Despite exceptional technical and logistical challenges, the project achieved remarkable outcomes.
Major Milestones Achieved
- 20-kilometer Andes crossing tunnel completed
- Successful recovery and completion following two major TBM entrapment events
- 45-meter-high dam constructed within a six-month dry-season execution window
- Spillway and hydraulic structures completed while maintaining river diversion through the bottom outlet system
- Full project delivery, including testing and commissioning, completed within four years
Long-Term Impact
- More than 20,000 hectares of desert transformed into productive agricultural land
- More than 65,000 direct jobs generated
- Significant increase in regional economic development and agricultural productivity
- Creation of a strategic water resource infrastructure asset with long-term national importance