The 330-metre long tunnel under the Thames from Chelsea to Battersea Park has recently broken through.
Cadent’s film chronicles the construction process of the £18m project – from setting up site and sinking shafts to the digging of the tunnel itself by tunnel boring machine Amanda.
The action unfolds against the backdrop of London landmarks the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Battersea Park and the River Thames.
The new tunnel is 330 metres long with a diameter of 1.8 metres. It has two 30-metre tunnel shafts: one in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and the other in Battersea Park.
Cadent Gas, formerly National Grid Gas Distribution Ltd, was part of National Grid until April 2017.
The tunnel, due for completion in 2018, is part of Cadent’s £1bn investment in replacing ageing gas mains across London. It is being delivered by Cadent’s strategic partner tRIIO, which includes contractors Skanska and Barhale and consulting engineer Mott Macdonald.
The TBM was controlled remotely by an above ground operator to carve out the 330-metre long tunnel. “As the tunnel was the deepest pipejack ever attempted under the river Thames, specific measures were put in place to mitigate for the ground conditions and confined environment of working in central London,” said Barhale contracts manager Ovi Frunza.
The project team is now preparing the tunnel for the installation of the new gas pipe.
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