Farrans Construction and sub-contractor HB Tunnelling have begun constructing a new water pipeline under one of Northumberland’s busiest roads.
The team, which is constructing Phase 1 of Northumbrian Water’s £155m Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley, is using micro-tunnelling to lay pipes under the A68 without impacting on road users.
The operation will take four to six weeks to pass 60m in length underground, creating a 1200mm-diameter tunnel connecting the drive and reception pits.
Northumbrian Water project manager James Dawes said the project was nearing the end of construction of Phase 1, which is 32km long and connects water treatment works at Lartington, near Barnard Castle, with treated water storage reservoirs at Whorley and Shildon.
“Crossing the A68 represents one of the final elements of this phase of construction, and is something that has been planned with care, taking into consideration the need to minimise road disruption,” he said.
“Using micro-tunnelling removes any impact on road users, and the topography of the land allowed for us to take this option, so we are glad to be able to avoid working within the A68 this way.”
Farrans Construction contract director Dave Mellor said Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley was a technically challenging project to deliver, crossing under rivers and roads.
“We are working collaboratively with our client and our stakeholders to do this with minimal disruption by bringing innovative civil engineering techniques to the site,” he said.
“Micro-tunnelling has removed the need for road closures in this busy stretch of the carriageway so that traffic can continue to flow while our engineers work on placing pipework below the ground. We would like to thank the local community for their ongoing patience and interest in this exciting project as we move closer to completion.”
In May, Farrans and sub-contractor Joseph Gallagher broke through on a 220m tunnel under the River Tees for Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley.
Completion of the construction of the 57km Phase 1 pipework will be followed by work next year to fully reinstate the land along the route to its original state. Phase 2 is expected to be constructed between summer 2025 and 2028, subject to planning approval.
