Latest Tunnels News

Consultants start Lower Thames Crossing next stage

Lower Thames tunnel

CH2M, Arcadis and Cowi are to start the next stage of the Lower Thames Crossing after the government announced its preferred route yesterday.

The joint venture of the three engineering firms, called LTC Cascade, is Highways England’s technical partner for the project. A major part of the JV’s work is to work on…

Lower Thames Crossing preferred route announced

NCE stock roads

The government has announced its chosen route for the £4bn - £6bn Lower Thames Crossing.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling has announced the preferred route which will create a link between the A2 and the M25, easing congestion around the busy Dartford Crossing. Highways England and its supply chain will be responsible for…

Tunnelling starts for Northern Line extension

Northern Line extension TBM

The delayed Northern Line extension tunnelling has started with the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) launching on its 3.2km journey.

Two 650t, 100m long TBMs were lowered into 20m deep shafts at the former Battersea Power Station in February. The first, named Helen by local schoolchildren, is creating a 3.2km long, 5.2m diameter…

Aecom wins A303 upgrade technical contract

A303 stonehenge

Aecom has been appointed by Highways England to provide technical support for the upgrading of the A303 which includes the controversial Stonehenge tunnel.

Plans were announced by Highways England in February this year to upgrade the final 56km of single carriageway to dual carriageway. Currently the narrow stretches of road create…

Contractors selected for 4km Australia tunnel

West Gate Tunnel Project Inbound tunnel entrance

The consortium building the major new West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne, Australia, has been announced.

The joint venture, which is headlined by contractors John Holland and CPB, will now be tasked with building the 4km long tunnel which will divert traffic away from congested West Gate Bridge. The two, three-lane tunnels will…

First shaft finished for Thames gas main tunnel

National Grid Tunnel

Engineers have finished the first stage of a tunnel for a gas main under the River Thames, National Grid Gas Distribution’s biggest current civil engineering project.

The 330m long, 1.8m wide tunnel is being delivered by tRIIO, a JV owned by Morrison Utility Services and Skanska in partnership with National Grid Gas Distribution. The tunnel…

Bypass surgery on Birmingham’s aqueduct

Elan Valley Aqueduct

The first of three aqueduct bypass tunnels has been completed on time in Birmingham by the BNM Alliance, a JV between North Midland Construction and Barhale.

Birmingham’s 100-year-old aqueduct, the Elan Valley Aqueduct (EVA), increasingly requires maintenance but as the city’s only water supply it cannot be turned off for more…

Stonehenge tunnel to be built with private cash

A303 stonehenge

The A303 Stonehenge tunnel will be built with private finance, New Civil Engineer understands.

Highways England has briefed its supply chain that the £1bn-plus project will use a version of the new PF2 private finance model. The project involves building a 2.9km long tunnel built around Stonehenge and is key to delivering…

Stonehenge Tunnel will be an ‘invisible’ road

Visual of what one of the stonehenge portals might look like

One day last summer, just before 5am, thousands of people gathered at the Stonehenge World Heritage Site (WHS) to watch the sun rise behind the sacred Heel Stone.

The event on June 20 marked the Summer Solstice, when the sun rises behind the ancient stone monument at the site which some believe is criss crossed by…

Arup JV wins technical work on Fehmarnbelt link

Fehmarnbelt 2by3

Fehmarn Belt link developers, Femern, have inked technical consultanct services contracts with a Ramboll/Arup/TEC joint venture (JV).

The JV beat bids from CH2M Hill, Sweco and AF Infrastructure. The £5.6bn 18km Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will connect the Danish island of Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn. It will be…