By rosebell
The project of constructing a new water pipeline under one of Northumberland’s busiest roads, has been commenced by Farrans Construction and sub-contractor HB Tunnelling.
With the aim of laying pipes beneath the A68 without impacting on road users, the team is using micro-tunnelling and it is constructing Phase 1 of Northumbrian Water’s £155m Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley.
The determined time duration for this operation is four to six weeks to pass 60m in length underground, creating a 1200mm-diameter tunnel connecting the drive and reception pits.
According to Northumbrian Water project manager James Dawes: “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. 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.”
“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. 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,” said Farrans Construction contract director Dave Mellor.
Also the process of breaking through on a 220m tunnel under the River Tees for Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley, was done by Farrans and sub-contractor Joseph Gallagher in May 2024.
In order to fully reinstating the land along the route to its original state, completion of the construction of the 57km Phase 1 pipework will be followed by work next year and Phase 2 is expected to be constructed between summer 2025 and 2028, subject to planning approval.
