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Work on Chipping Warden HS2 green tunnel begins
11/06/2022
HS2 will bring five thousand pre-cast segments to the site to assemble before covering over with soil
Work has started on the HS2’s “green tunnel” at Chipping Warden. The one-and-a-half mile construction is being built on the surface using a pioneering approach, which sees the tunnel parts being made off site and then brought here and put into place.
More than five thousand giant concrete segments are being made in a factory in Derbyshire. Once they have all been put in place at Chipping Warden the completed tunnel will be covered by earth, with trees, shrubs and hedgerows planted to fit in with the surrounding countryside.
The approach speeds up construction and improves efficiency.
The tunnel has been designed as an m-shaped double arch, with separate halves for southbound and northbound trains. Each side is the height of two double-decker buses. Five different concrete precast segments will be slotted together to achieve the double arch.
Concrete and steel are some of the biggest sources of carbon emissions within the construction industry. The tunnel’s lighter-weight modular approach uses less materials and is expected to more than halve the amount of carbon embedded in the structure. It also requires less people and equipment on site, which HS2 says improves safety and reduces disruption for local people.
HS2 Ltd’s Project Client Rohan Perin, said: “The Chipping Warden green tunnel is a great example of what we’re doing to reduce disruption for people living close to the railway – and it’s fantastic to see the first arches in position.
“Our trains will be powered by zero carbon electricity but it’s also important to reduce the amount of carbon embedded in construction. The off-site manufacturing techniques being used will help cutting the overall amount of carbon-intensive concrete and steel in the tunnel and make the whole process faster, more efficient and therefore less disruptive for the community.”
Chipping Warden is one of five “green tunnels” that are being built on phase one of the HS2 project. Construction expected to be complete in 2024.
A relief road has also recently been completed, which will take HS2 vehicles – and other local traffic – away from the centre of the village of Chipping Warden. This will later be extended, to take the A361 over the top of the green tunnel.
A similar green tunnel will also be built at nearby Greatworth.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam