The UK’s Tideway, the organisation building London’s new super sewer, has welcomed the arrival of the first of its six 8.13m diameter TBMs, that will be used to bore the 25km long tunnel.
The TBM will make its way through central London along the River Thames having made the 850km journey by barge from Kehl, Germany where it has undergone rigorous testing.
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Tideway will transport over 90% of materials by barge, including the TBMs, which will reduce the number of road vehicle journeys needed to build the tunnel by more than 300,000.
Andy Mitchell, Tideway’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The arrival of our first TBM marks a major milestone for the construction of London’s super sewer and it also demonstrates our commitment to use the river to transport materials and reduce the number of vehicles on London’s roads.
“Our vision is to reconnect London with the River Thames and, by practicing what we preach, we want to demonstrate the huge potential of our city’s greatest natural asset.”
To make the journey from Germany by barge the TBM had to be dismantled and over the next few months it will be reassembled at Tideway’s Carnwath Road site in west London.
The TBM will be named Rachel, after Rachel Parsons, an engineer and advocate for women’s employment rights, who set up the first women-only engineering company in Fulham.
Tunnelling will start in 2018.
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