HS2’s ‘green tunnel’ at Wendover in Buckinghamshire took a major step forward this week with the completion of the central part of the cut-and-cover structure which has been designed to cut noise and disturbance for people living nearby.
Set to stretch for around a mile (1.4km), the tunnel is being built inside a cutting alongside the A413 to the west of the town. Once each section is complete, earth is being put back on top to blend the railway into the surrounding countryside.
There are five green tunnels on the HS2 project between London and Birmingham with the Copthall tunnel, on the outskirts of the capital, completed in the summer.
Assembled from 2740 precast concrete segments, the Wendover green tunnel is in an ‘M’ shape, with separate halves for northbound and southbound trains.
To speed up construction, the tunnel was being built in two sections to allow excavation, preparatory work, construction and backfilling to happen at different points simultaneously. These two halves met this week, with the last segment slotted into place on Monday.
To mark the achievement, the team took a moment to sign their names on the segment before it was lifted into position.
With the central part now finished, the focus is turning to the portals at either end, completing the floor slab and internal fitout. Ellesborough Road – which runs from the town in the direction of Princes Risborough - is currently carried over the construction site on a temporary bridge. The final stage will be to realign it over the top of the tunnel and complete the landscaping.
