By Lynda Myer
Following completion of a set of major lifts of TBM components at its Victoria Road Crossover Box site, in Ealing, west London by HS2, in previous Friday the final major lift, of the middle shield of TBM Anne, was completed under the lights of the Wembley Stadium arch.
Through g a 750-tonne crane into the caterpillar shaped crossover box Skanksa Costain Strabag (SCS) joint venture lifted the 336-tonne component.
Also excavation of the eastern half of the Northolt Tunnel, which is due to ultimately be used to take the new high-speed line between Old Oak Common station and outer London, will be up to EPBMs Anne and Emily, that are 1,700-tonne and have been manufactured by Herrenknecht company. In order to completing a 5.5km stretch of the tunnel from Victoria Road to Greenford, their journeys are slated to commence in the new year.
Being developed in two phases of Northolt Tunnel West and Northolt Tunnel East, this 13.5km-long tunnel is being built by four TBMs. TBMs Sushila and Caroline were launched in November last year.
