Construction of HS2’s Chiltern Tunnel – the longest on the high-speed route – has been completed.
Align Joint Venture announced on LinkedIn yesterday that it had finished works on the 16.1km tunnel, as well as the porous South Portal structures and the accompanying earthworks trace.
Works began at the South Portal, the launch site for TBMs Florence and Cecilia, in 2020. TBM Florence commenced her journey in spring 2021, followed shortly by Cecilia.
The TBMs broke through at the North Portal in February and March 2024 and were dismantled in May last year.
Since then, the team worked on the 38 cross passages and five adits, the strip out of services and slurry pipes, slip-formed the emergency walkways, completed construction of the porous South Portal structures and constructed the crossover slabs and drainage for the train track.
“It has been an incredible five years since civil works began, from innovations and awards to record-breaking mining and historic breakthroughs. Throughout it all our values and integrated project team have remained at the core,” Align JV said.
The joint venture comprises Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd.
