The final and largest tranche of tunnelling contracts worth $560M have been awarded on Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, currently the UK’s largest infrastructure scheme.
The award brings the total value of tunnelling contracts on the scheme to $860M with Swedish giant, Skanska dominating the line-up with active participation in three of the five contracts.
The largest and, at $205M, the most valuable award is for contract 220 West London to Stratford tunnels. Hot favourites, Cementation Skanska/Nishimatsu JV scooped the award, beating the Balfour Beatty/Amec JV in the final round. The successful JV will be working as a 50/50 partnership to construct the 7.5km of 7.1m diameter twin bore tunnels. Each tunnel will be driven by TBM at depths of up to 40m and feature a precast concrete lining. The JV will also construct 12 cross passages and two deep ventilation shafts as part of the contract. Contract 220 features the longest tunnel construction section on the whole high-speed route and is scheduled for completion in 2005.
Skanska in JV with Costain/Bachy Soletanche has also been awarded the $168M Contract 240 Stratford to Barrington Road tunnel section. JV Nishimatsu/ Skanska Construction UK lost out at final selection. Construction involves 4.7km of TBM driven, 7.1m diameter twin-bore tunnels. Two major ventilation shafts, a 4.5m diameter cross tunnel and eight cross passages are included in the contract that is scheduled for completion in summer 2004.
The awards now mean that Skanska in JVs will be constructing 12.2km of tunnels on CTRL 2, either side of Contract 230, the 1km long Stratford Box, which it won in January.
The final tunnelling award to be made is Contract 250 Barrington Road to Ripple Lane. The Edmund Nuttall/Wayss & Freytag/Kier Consortium JV was selected for the $161M section beating JV Hochtief/ Murphy to the award. The 5.8km long stretch includes 5.3km of twin tube bored tunnels including one vent shaft. A 600m stretch of cut and cover tunnel and retained open cut at the tunnel portal are also involved.
All construction contracts for the tunnelling sections are due to start in the summer of this year.
The whole 109km long, $7.3M CTRL scheme is scheduled for completion in 2007 and will halve the journey times between the Channel Tunnel and central London. The scheme has been seen as affirming the UK’s commitment to the European High Speed Rail Link.
