The company tunnelled under the busy motorway near Standish, in Greater Manchester, to lay two 80m-long, 25.4m-diameter pipes for United Utilities. The pipes were installed 8m below the road surface and the motorway remained open during operations.
The new water supply has now been connected into the existing water network at either side of the UK’s longest motorway.
Senior project manager John Harrison said several methods of repair were investigated but the best option was to introduce new pipes to replace the damaged section under the M6.
“With around 175,000 vehicles using that section of the motorway at all times of day and night, digging it up to install the new pipe simply wasn’t an option. With water we don’t usually go overhead, which meant we had to go under,” he said.
HDD allowed for precise control, enabling the drill to change direction where necessary to avoid underground obstructions, including other services running beneath the motorway.
“The use of directional drilling enables the work to be carried out efficiently while safeguarding the integrity of the motorway and the environment around it,” said Harrison.
