By Lynda Myer
The Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council issued planning permission for the design of the green tunnel at Burton Green, which is a responds to community feedback calling for bigger and better green spaces around the railway.
Advancement of the southern end of the structure have already been approved by Warwickshire District Council, where the railway is due to travel in a 400m-long green tunnel and the roof will be covered with landscape planting and new footpaths to integrate the railway into the surrounding landscape.
Also approval of the northern section of the structure, where the railway exits the tunnel north portal in a 1.4 km cutting with retained walls, is up to Solihull Council and it completes the planning approvals for this stretch of HS2.
Providing a connection from Balsall Common to Kenilworth via Burton Green for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders, the realignment of the Kenilworth Greenway is a key feature for this area. The new Greenway will cross under Cromwell Lane and then cross the roof of the green tunnel and run alongside the railway cutting.
According to HS2 senior project manager Alan Payne: “The organisation was committed to maximising green space around the high-speed railway.We have worked with residents and authorities to ensure our tunnel design conserves, enhances and transforms the landscape in this area.”
He also added: “The design for the permanent realignment for the Kenilworth Greenway and the landscape infrastructure created over the green tunnel is central to how we deliver this, linking the local community and railway with the wider landscape.”
The Mott MacDonald Systra Design Joint Venture had responsibility of designing green tunnel in Burton Green and is working for HS2’s main works contractor for the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), which is constructing 90km of HS2 between Long Itchington in Warwickshire to the centre of Birmingham and on to Staffordshire.
Beside Burton Green, there are green tunnels at Copthall in Hillingdon, Wendover in Buckinghamshire and Chipping Warden and Greatworth, both in Northamptonshire.
Widening of the historic railway cutting to the width of the new tunnel, construction of the wall panels to the north of Cromwell Lane, as well as completion of the diversion of Cromwell Lane to enable construction of the tunnel’s southern section, are the underground elements of the tunnel that are undergoing.
While construction of the south portal and tunnel wall panels along with the solid tunnel roof to the north of the original Cromwell Lane bridge have been completed, work is progressing on the Cromwell Lane underpass to allow the diversion of Cromwell Lane.
Additionally, the start key of tunnel roof slab to the north of Cromwell Lane and excavations in this section have been pressed. Over the coming months, work includes continuation of the main tunnel excavation, construction of the tunnel base slab and internal mid-wall, demolition and removal of Cromwell Lane bridge, work to join the northern section to the south portal, and construction of the tunnel roof slab to the south of Cromwell Lane.
In order to providing the conditions that the structures are not easily visible from the surrounding area and to guide bats around the portal and away from the trains, the bowl-shaped landscape around the south tunnel portal and the portal services building will be planted with trees and shrubs.
Following completion of the tunnel, the cutting are slated to be back filled with soils as the basis for recreating the landscape, and soil will conceal the tunnel roof to support planting and public footpaths.
