Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, announced that its joint venture with Morgan Sindall and BAM Nuttall has been awarded a £416 million contract to construct part of London’s new ‘super sewer’, the Thames Tideway Tunnel, for Bazalgette Tunnel Limited.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel will ensure the capital’s sewerage system is fit to support its projected population for at least the next 100 years, and will tackle the issue of discharges of untreated sewage that currently enter the River Thames on a regular basis.

Balfour Beatty’s three-way equal joint venture, which is known as BMB and was appointed as preferred bidder for the scheme in February 2015, will create the six kilometre ‘West’ section of the 25km Thames Tideway Tunnel.

BMB’s ‘West’ section will run from Acton in West London to Wandsworth in South West London and will incorporate seven separate work sites along the route. Works will include design, construction, commissioning and maintenance for a two to five year period following construction completion.

A digital construction approach utilising Building Information Modelling (BIM) will allow full testing and simulation of construction activity before works start on site for safe and efficient delivery. Project materials will be transported down the River Thames to ease road congestion, emissions and disruption throughout the duration of the project.

The Thames Tideway contract builds upon Balfour Beatty’s expertise in delivering large multi- disciplinary tunnelling contracts in sensitive areas including the Crossrail Liverpool Street and Whitechapel Station tunnels and the A3 Hindhead tunnel.

Mobilisation work for the ‘West’ tunnel will begin in September this year with completion scheduled for 2022. The Thames Tideway Tunnel project will create more than 9,000 direct and indirect jobs at the peak of construction.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive said: “Balfour Beatty’s expert teams have for many years helped to make the London landscape – both visible and invisible – what it is today, ensuring it can to continue to grow as one of the world’s leading capital cities. The award of this unique infrastructure project, which is part of the largest ever undertaken by the UK water industry, is another example of the part we are playing in 21st Century engineering.

“At the same time, together with our joint venture partners, we are committed to delivering tangible benefits for our local communities and their economy – through sensitive construction, engaging local businesses and SMEs into our supply chain and providing local job opportunities, including 50 new apprenticeships.”

Source and Link:  EPC Engineer