tunnelling-journal (1)
tunnelling-journal (1)
  • Home
  • Print
    • Subscribe
    • Tunnelling Journal
    • Breakthrough
    • ITA Activity Report
    • A&NZ Journal
    • WTC Preview
    • Media Kit
  • Digital
    • Newsletter
    • E-Shots
    • Products Page
    • Media Kit
  • Conferences
    • BTS Conference and Exhibition
    • Cutting Edge 2021
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Events Diary
  • Jobs
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Podcast

Home > Lee Tunnel TBM arrives on site

Lee Tunnel TBM arrives on site

Tris Thomas

Written by Tris Thomas on 29/07/2011 in News

Tagged:

Busy Lizzie, a 120m long Herrenknecht TBM, last night completed its journey from Germany to Beckton sewage works in east London, ready to start work on the US$1bn Lee Tunnel, a 6.4km sewer to help prevent 16M tonnes of sewage entering the river annually during heavy rainfall.

Since June, the machine has been transported by barge in sections via Germany’s River Rhine to Rotterdam before being shipped across the North Sea to Tilbury, on the Thames estuary in Essex, from where it was driven overnight via the A13 road to Beckton.

Last night the largest piece of the machine – the 8m diameter cutter head – arrived in four parts, under police escort. Ahead of the machine’s arrival, street signs and lamp-posts were moved temporarily to enable the wide load to get past. It will be reassembled 80m below London, where it will start work in January 2012.

Lawrence Gosden, Thames Water’s head of capital delivery, said, “We face the challenge of boring the deepest tunnel in London at some of the highest groundwater pressures that a machine of this type has ever tunnelled in. We will be passing through four miles of the most abrasive ground without any other shafts along the way.

“The Lee Tunnel is the first of two tunnels, which will collectively capture an average of 39M tonnes a year of sewage from London’s 35 most polluting combined sewer overflows. The Lee Tunnel will tackle discharges from the largest overflow at Abbey Mills in Stratford, which accounts for 40% of the total discharge. That’s why we’re dealing with this, the worst one, first.”

During heavy rainfall when London’s Victorian sewers reach capacity, there is simply nowhere else for the remaining sewage to go. Beckton sewage works is being expanded by 60% to enable it to cope with the increased volume of sewage the tunnel will capture.

Tunnelling work is due to begin in January 2012 and is expected to finish in late 2013. The machine is likely to progress at a rate of 17m a day.

MVB, made up of three of the country’s leading civil engineering contractors – Morgan Sindall, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche – are working together to deliver the Lee Tunnel.

Comments:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Digital Edition

More Like This

02/12/2020

Longest Thames Tideway drive breaks through

Longest Thames Tideway drive breaks through

The Ferrovial and Laing O’Rourke JV has completed tunnelling on the final 7.6km long drive on the central section of…

26/08/2020

TBM breakthrough on Turkey’s Bahçe-Nurdaği Railway

TBM breakthrough on Turkey’s Bahçe-Nurdaği Railway

In late July, 2020, a jubilant ceremony marked a milestone for southern Turkey’s arduous Bahçe-Nurdaği High-Speed Railway Tunnel. The first…

06/11/2020

Gamuda completes tunnelling on KVMRT Putrajaya Line

Gamuda completes tunnelling on KVMRT Putrajaya Line

11th October 2020 saw the last tunnel ring that makes up the 13.5km-stretch of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit…

  • Contact Us
  • Media Kit
  • Magazine Archive

Newsletter

The latest from the Tunneling Journal direct to your inbox.

Social



Enquiries

TGS Media Ltd
The Old Library
Webster House
Dudley Road
Tunbridge Wells
TN1 1LE
United Kingdom

© Tunnelling Journal. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. Admin

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more