The Balfour Beatty Vinci joint venture has completed half the 700m-long HS2 Burton Green Tunnel in Warwickshire.
The structure is being constructed using a ‘top-down’ method, which involves building it from the existing ground level. This includes initially building the side walls and roof of the tunnel, with large openings to ease excavation. The tunnel is then excavated and the tunnel base constructed.
An onsite team of 150 will now focus on the next phase of the build ahead of full completion in autumn 2026. This includes further tunnel excavation work – with excavated soil being reused as part of wider landscaping plans – and the installation of roof slabs, base slabs and internal structures.
The tunnel was designed Mott MacDonald engineers from the Mott MacDonald SYSTRA Design joint venture.
