Procurement has begun for one of the world's largest tunnelling machines to be used in the construction of National Highways' Lower Thames Crossing (LTC), following the £891m included in the Autumn budget for the project.
With the help of this new cash from the Government, work on the project is now expected to commence next year, with the scheme's tunnelling partner, Bouygues Travaux Publics Murphy Joint Venture, now inviting tenders for the construction of a tunnel boring machine.
The 16.4-metre-wide tunnel boring machine will excavate one of the widest tunnels in the world that will accommodate three lanes of traffic in each direction, 60 metres below the Thames, doubling road capacity across the Thames east of London. At over 4km long, it will also be the longest road tunnel in the UK.
In efforts to meet low-carbon goals and be the first major infrastructure project to be carbon-neutral, National Highways is planning to dig both the north and southbound tunnels with just one machine, which it states will reduce carbon emissions as well as costs.
National Highways expects the machine to be procured next year, with digging scheduled to commence in 2028.
Roads and buses minister, Simon Lightwood, said: ‘The launch of the procurement process for Europe's largest tunnelling machine marks a major step forward for this transformational project, backed by £891 million in the Budget, which demonstrates this Government's determination to deliver the infrastructure our economy needs to grow.'
Matt Palmer, executive director of the Lower Thames Crossing, said: ‘The search for our giant tunnel boring machine is now on, putting us on track to open the Lower Thames Crossing in the early 2030s.'
Preparatory works along the route have already begun, including ecological and archaeological surveys, utility diversions and creation of new habitats for local wildlife.
The new road is expected to open in the early 2030s.
