HS2 reveals images of giant Midlands dig

Grant Prior 5 years ago
Share

Drone footage has revealed the scale of HS2’s largest construction site in the Midlands.

The site in Warwickshire is being prepared for the launch of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will dig under Long Itchington Wood, creating a 1 mile twin bore tunnel before the route heads North and swings into Birmingham’s Curzon Street Station.

Main contractor on the job is the BBV Joint Venture of Balfour Beatty and Vinci who will be one of the biggest recruiters in the Midlands over the next two years, expecting to recruit 7,000 jobs to support the delivery of its HS2 programme of work.

There are currently 60 workers on site including student engineers and apprentices.

Current work on the 1km sq site entails a large and deep excavation, with 250,000m3 of material being excavated in layers before being transported and deposited locally to form environmental embankments for the main line.

The 2,000 tonne tunnel boring machine, which has been manufactured in Germany by Herrenknecht, is due for delivery on site in early 2021.

It will be launched in Summer 2021 and completion of the boring will be mid 2022. The tunnel will be around 9-10 metres in diameter.

On this stretch of the route there are two tunnels being built by BBV – the other one is Bromford Tunnel. There are also 100 bridges, 35 viaducts, 36 cuttings and 70 bridge structures.

Michael Dyke, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “In readiness for the arrival of the first tunnel boring machine, works have already commenced in earnest to prepare the Long Itchington Wood Tunnel north portal site, with our expert team and valued supply chain partners excavating 250,000m3 of material before reusing it elsewhere across the route.

“Critical to the successful delivery of Europe’s largest infrastructure project – HS2, the 2,000 tonne tunnel boring machine will set off on its journey from the portal next Summer, travelling from North to South to create the twin bore Long Itchington Wood Tunnel.”

The TBM will take around 5 months to complete the first bore of the twin bore tunnel.

Once the first bore is complete, the TBM will be extracted at the South Portal reception box before being transported by road back to the North Portal to commence the second bore.

A large portion of the TBM support modules will be drawn back through the bored tunnel before being positioned on the cradle for the second bore.

Works on a Green Tunnel located south of the South Portal will commence later this year using the D-Wall rigs mobilised for the reception box.

Excavation of the reception box will be undertaken in this period with the material being stockpiled locally.

Specialists working on the site include Collins Earthworks who are undertaking bulk earthmoving. Collins, based in Derbyshire, has around 120 employees working on HS2 sites in the Midlands.

Other suppliers working on the site include:

  • SB3, a joint venture between Soletanche Bachy and Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering, are undertaking the soil nailing and shotcrete at the North Portal plus the D-walls, Secant piles and Slurry Walls at the South Portal.
  • Balfour Beatty Plant and Fleet HUB providing the solutions for temporary cabins and the permanent modular buildings.
  • Rail Stone Solutions are the providers of aggregates and stone fills across the project
  • Tarmac will be providing the concrete for the majority of the works.

Latest news

13-year-old becomes UK’s youngest qualified digger driver

Grandson of Gallagher Group chairman sets industry record
4 hours ago

Cubby reborn in £12m Svella-backed takeover

£50m revenue target set as 14 firms combine under new Cubby Group banner
19 hours ago

North East NHS trusts plot £3bn health estate overhaul

Market engagement begins for major construction push across four trusts
19 hours ago

HG goes green on cranes in £1.2m switch to battery power

Diesel-free crane drive cuts fuel bills by 94%
20 hours ago

Developer fined £165,000 for fire safety failings

Firm ignored fire safety orders on apartment job in Preston
20 hours ago

Bidding to start for £1.8bn North West framework

Contractors invited to bid for latest Procure Partnerships deal
20 hours ago

Hill hits record £90m profit as homes pipeline swells

Build-to-rent push and £4.8bn contracting book to fuel next growth phase
2 days ago

Rayner unveils £39bn plan to build 300,000 social homes

Council building revival and rent reform feature in social and affordable homes plan
2 days ago

Keltbray bounces back with £3.2m profit

Tighter controls and smarter project selection fuel strong turnaround
2 days ago

VINCI JV wins 500-home twin town centre revamps

Chester Northgate phase 2 and Northwich Weaver Square schemes move to delivery stage
2 days ago

80 energy projects unlocked as Ofgem backs grid expansion

£24bn energy networks deal gets green light from regulator
3 days ago

How to see your stories on the Enquirer

Join our Suppliers and Buyers directory to get your news published
2 days ago

Henley lands Midland Mill revamp on Leeds tower scheme

Restoration of 18th-century mill kicks off on South Bank regeneration project
2 days ago

New boss at Eric Wright Civil Engineering

Gavin Hulme takes top job as Diane Bourne moves to group role
2 days ago

Pinewood submits £1bn data centre plan

Studio giant adds green and learning spaces to tech hub blueprint
3 days ago

Record results after TClarke goes private

Britain's biggest M&E contractor flourishes after de-listing
3 days ago

Dalkia lands £200m nuclear maintenance deal

1,000 nuclear FM staff to join M&E contractor
3 days ago

Construction comeback to outpace wider economy

Arcadis forecast fueled by spending review optimism
4 days ago

First steel goes up on giant car battery site

Severfield gets to work on McAlpine Somerset site
4 days ago

Permasteelisa wins cladding deal on Bovis city tower

Facade specialist lands package at 60 Gracechurch Street
3 days ago

Fox buys recycled asphalt specialist Fisher

Acquisition adds major recycled asphalt capacity in north west
4 days ago

Major Building Safety Regulator shake-up to end tower delays

HSE stripped of control and top fire chiefs brought in to fast-track stalled schemes
4 days ago

Hinkley trio sign Sizewell civils deal

Balfour,Bouygues and Laing O'Rourke form Civil Works Alliance for new power station
4 days ago

£3.9bn data centre plan for Ravenscraig steelworks

Green energy to power massive new steel to silicon AI campus
4 days ago

Breakthrough on HS2’s second longest tunnel

8.4 mile Northolt to Old Oak Common drive completes
4 days ago

Neilcott on fast-track to debt-free employee ownership

£22.5m loan nearly paid down after big profit year
4 days ago

TfL kicks off race for £700m Tube station upgrade

South Kensington and Elephant & Castle top the pipeline list
4 days ago

Corbyn Plant Hire fleet goes under the hammer

Kit to be sold off by sister firm to collapsed groundworks contractor
4 days ago

Government wields procurement stick on late payment

New rules would block slow payers from bidding on big public jobs
7 days ago

Hercules buys power line labour firm for £15.7m

Labour supply specialist snaps up Advantage NRG to tap booming electricity upgrade market
7 days ago