Thames Tideway Tunnel

The “Thames Tideway Tunnel” project consisted of the construction of a new tunnel 25 kilometers long and 7 meters in diameter.

The new tunnel starts in west London, from where it continues along the route of the River Thames to Limehouse and from there to the northwest where it meets the Abbey Mils pumping station.

London previously relied on 150-year-old sewer system built for a population less than half its current size. As a result, millions of tonnes of raw sewage spills were being released untreated into the River Thames each year.

Scroll down to see how London Thamesport & our partners helped with the project. Installation/completed photos used under permission with thanks to Tideway.

London Thamesport’s advantages as a multi-purpose cargo handling port allowed for a significant reduction in CO2 levels.

PACADAR UK participated in the construction of the central and the longest section of the tunnel, which extends over 12.7 kilometres and measures 7 meters in diameter. Two 8.8 m diameter Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) tunnel boring machines, capable of accessing a depth of more than 60 meters under the river, have been used for the construction.

London Thamesport are delighted to work with PACADAR to ship in raw materials before moving the concrete sections by barge to the construction site. Deep water access in the heart of the UK’s most economically vibrant region and the ability to move products sustainably by rail or inland waterway as well as by road, is a winning combination.

The main works contractor for the Tideway East project, CVB, is a joint venture comprising, Costain, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche. During the project, Neil Grosset, Deputy Project Director CVB of Tideway East said:

“CVB is delighted to be delivering primary precast tunnel rings into London Thamesport by rail for the East sections of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. With approximately half the rings being loaded to barges using the port’s ship to shore quay cranes for final delivery to the TBM site in Greenwich, this will enable us to provide an efficient, reliable, robust and cost effective solution whilst simultaneously delivering a significant reduction in the CO2 levels generated from the project.

“The excellent London Thamesport team demonstrated their experience and capability. With the combined benefits of rail, barge and road connections, together with its ideal location, London Thamesport offered us a winning all-round solution which exactly meet our needs for this important project.”