Tunneling completes at major viaduct project
United Living Infrastructure Services (ULIS) has completed the tunnelling phase of the Saltley Viaduct Gas Diversion as part of a multimillion-pound project.
The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), named ‘Lorena’ by the project team to symbolise honour and victory, finished excavating a 106-meter-long, 1.5-meter-diameter tunnel beneath the Derby to Birmingham railway.
Delivered for Cadent by ULIS in collaboration with tunnelling subcontractor HB Tunnelling, the project involved constructing 14-meter-deep and up to 7.5-meter-wide segmental shafts in wet ground conditions at a constrained site between the River Rea and the Grand Union Canal.
The new tunnel will house a replacement gas pipeline, ensuring a stable gas supply for Birmingham and supporting a major infrastructure initiative.
With tunnelling completed, ULIS will now install the gas pipeline, connect it to the existing network, and decommission the old pipeline.
Excavated material from the shafts will be transported to a local materials management facility for repurposing, minimizing carbon emissions and reducing landfill use.
ULIS secured the contract with Cadent to manage the gas pipeline diversion and associated tunnelling, with the project set for completion in April 2025.
Conor Bray, managing director, United Living Infrastructure Services, said: “The safe completion of tunnelling works on the Saltley Viaduct marks a significant milestone and displays the hard work and close collaboration of everyone working on the project.
“Working collaboratively with Cadent, we are now focusing on the next stages of construction and look forward to successfully delivering this vital piece of infrastructure with the highest level of safety and quality.”
Neil Bethell, director of Capital Delivery, Cadent said: “This was and continues to be a challenging project from the start, with significant risks to be assessed and managed within very tight timescales. The successful construction of the tunnel is a fantastic achievement by all involved and was only made possible by all parties working closely together.”
