Crossrail’s new tunnel from Limmo Peninsula to Victoria Dock in east London, UK, has been completed, bringing the total number of finished rail tunnels under the programme to 83%.
The 1,000t Jessica tunnel boring machine (TBM) completed its 900m journey in just nine weeks, travelling as far as 41m a day.
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The tunnel segments were made in Chatham, Kent and transported to Limmo by river barge.
Work on the remaining twin tunnel from Limmo to Victoria Dock will start in the upcoming weeks with TBM tunnelling is due to complete in early 2015.
Crossrail chief executive Andrew Wolstenholme said: "We continue to make good progress on Crossrail’s tunnels.
"The end is now in sight on Crossrail’s tunnelling marathon, but there is much more to do in the form of installing railway systems and fitting out the stations."
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By GlobalDataConstruction on the eastern tunnels between Pudding Mill Lane and Stepney Green, Limmo Peninsula and Farringdon, as well as Victoria Dock Portal and Limmo, is undertaken by Joint Venture Dragados Sisk.
The 100km-long Crossrail route will serve 40 stations and run from Reading and Heathrow Airport. Services are scheduled to begin in 2018.
When fully operational in 2019, Crossrail will increase London’s rail-based transport capacity by 10%, as well as support regeneration, reduce journey times and bring an extra 1.5 million people to within 45 minutes of central London.
Image: TBM Jessica breakthrough at Royal Victoria Dock Portal. Photo: courtesy of Crossrail.
