Tunnels & Tunnelling Weekly
Tunnels and Tunnelling International
The official magazine of the British Tunnelling Society at Business Trade Media International
Welcome to this week's Tunnels and Tunnelling International newsletter.
Some great highlights and milestones in the last week.
Don't forget to check out all the new daily content on our updated website: www.tunnelsandtunnelling.com
We hope you enjoy it.
See our highlights below:
FUNDING FOR HS2 EUSTON TUNNELS CONFIRMED IN UK BUDGET
During the UK’s Autumn Budget last week Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that the government will fund the HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd tunnels from west London to Euston in central London.
The Euston Tunnel will carry HS2 passengers between London Euston Station and Old Oak Common Station.
The tunnels will be 7.2km long and at the deepest point will run 50m below ground, being bored using two TBMs launched from the eastern section of HS2’s Old Oak Common Station.
Major HS2 construction work at a site alongside the existing Euston station has been halted since the previous March due to funding doubts.
COWI SECURES CONTRACT FOR HUDSON RIVER GROUND STABILISATION PROJECT
The project will prepare the eastern riverbed for a 3.8km twin-tube rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey.
Engineering consultancy COWI has secured a contract for the Hudson River Ground Stabilisation Project (HRGS) in New York.
As part of the contract, COWI will serve as the engineer of record for the project, which is led by Weeks Marine, a marine construction and dredging company. The HRGS project represents the first major construction contract awarded by the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) as part of the Hudson Tunnel Project.
The stabilisation work on the Hudson River will prepare the riverbed on its eastern side for future construction of a 3.8km twin-tube rail tunnel that will link New York and New Jersey.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT PATNA METRO TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION SITE IN INDIA CLAIMS TWO LIVES
An accident at the tunnel construction site of the Patna Metro project in the eastern Indian state of Bihar claimed the lives of two workers, leaving several others injured.
The incident occurred on 28 October near the Ashok Rajpath area in Patna when a soil excavation machine experienced a brake failure, causing it to overturn and trap workers beneath. Local authorities reported that seven individuals were directly impacted, with five currently receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital.
Initial investigations by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) indicated that the accident stemmed from mechanical issues in the heavy machinery, highlighting safety concerns among the workforce.
SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT COMPLETES FINAL STRETCH OF ANDERSON DAM TUNNEL PROJECT
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) has announced the completion of the construction of the last stretch of a 1,736-foot tunnel adjacent to the Anderson Dam in Santa Clara County, California.
By using a specialised micro-tunnel boring machine (TBM), construction crews drilled the final 347ft, reaching depths of 30ft below the water’s surface.
Last month, divers and crane operators removed the TBM, lifting sections of the machine using a large crane.
Although the tunnelling work is complete, additional tasks remain before dam construction can commence, said the California public agency responsible for managing the water resources in Santa Clara County.
SOTRA LINK REACH 18 MONTHS CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE
The Sotra Link project is now 18 months in to their construction phase as they work towards an open date of June 2027.
Tunnelling is being constructed via drill & blast methods and since construction began more than 2600 blasts have been carried out.
The next construction milestone would be the commencement of the ramps for the Drotningsvik tunnel.
Sotra Link will define a path of travel between Bergen and Sotra in Norway, focusing on traffic safety, public transport, and sustainability.
SANRAL SET TO OPEN TENDERS FOR $250M HUGUENOT TUNNEL UPGRADE
The project aims to expand and upgrade the 3.9km Huguenot Tunnel, Africa's longest road tunnel, which has been in operation for 36 years.
Construction on this project along the N1 national road is anticipated to commence in the first half of 2025.
The project seeks to expand and enhance the 3.9km toll tunnel, Africa’s longest road tunnel, which has been operational for 36 years. The Huguenot Tunnel is said to have seen over 125 million vehicles pass through to date.
TERRATEC DEPLOYS TBM FOR NINTH BANGKOK WATER SUPPLY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Three Terratec TBMs will be used for constructing a 9.1km water tunnel on Bangkok’s western side to enhance water supply capacity and quality
.Terratec has lowered its earth pressure balance TBM (EPBM) into place for the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA)’s Ninth Bangkok water supply improvement project in Thailand.The 4.8m-diameter EPBM was deployed in early October.
The Bangkok water supply improvement project will use three Terratec TBMs to construct a 9.1km water tunnel on Bangkok’s western side to improve water supply capacity and quality.
POLISH BOUND TBM PASSES FAT
CRCHI produced EPB Tunnel boring machine (TBM) has passed it's Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) in Changsa, China.
The TBM has an 11m cutter-head disc, is 85 metres long and weighs approximately 1700 tonnes.
After passing the FAT it will nor be dismantled and transported to Poland for the Limanowa 104D Railway tunnel project. It will then be reassembled and re-tested before tunnel boring can commence.
Polish infrastructure operator PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. selected a consortium comprising Polish contractor Budimex and Turkish infrastructure firm Gülermak Heavy Industries Construction & Contracting Co. Inc to deliver the project.
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Until next week.
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