VolkerFitzpatrick celebrate the completion of the highly complex Chiltern Tunnel
We’re proud to celebrate this major milestone as part of the Align JV — the successful completion of the Chiltern Tunnel, the longest tunnel delivered on the HS2 project, spanning 10 miles.
Align is our HS2 joint venture with Bouygues Travaux Publics and Sir Robert McAlpine.
The five-year programme involved construction of the 10-mile tunnel, the longest on the HS2 route, the South Portal porous portal structures and accompanying earthworks trace.
The Align JV began constructing the bridge in early 2021, forming the foundations for the Colne Valley Viaduct. In Spring 2022, an enormous 700 tonne bridge-building machine was launched on site. Known as a ‘launching girder’, the machine is used to lift the giant concrete deck segments that form the viaduct’s arches into position. 56 piers each weighing around 370 tonnes have been constructed ahead of the girder.
HS2 will almost halve journey times between Britain’s two largest cities, while freeing up space for more local services on the most crowded part of the existing West Coast Main Line.
The portals are built to eliminate the possibility of ‘sonic boom’ being created by high-speed trains entering at 200mph, a first for the UK rail network.
Through the project's close teamwork and collaboration, the programme was completed 12 days ahead of the contractual date.
An incredibly complex project, it has won multiple awards and showcased some pioneering engineering expertise.
