Crossrail Liverpool Street Station award and archaeology

5 March 2012

Laing O’Rourke has been chosen to construct the Liverpool Street Crossrail station. The value of C502 is approximately GBP 300M.

The Mott MacDonald designed station will be built below Liverpool Street Station, Moorgate Station and Finsbury Circus. Laing O’Rourke will construct two ticket halls, Broadgate in the east and Moorgate in the west. The existing Moorgate hall will be expanded for this purpose. Construction will commence later this year.

Broadgate posed an archaeological problem. A Crossrail spokesman said, “The site of the Broadgate ticket hall sits directly above a 16th Century burial ground belonging to the Bethlehem Royal Hospital. Investigations by Crossrail archaeologists have confirmed the presence of up to 4,000 complete human skeletons 2 to 4m below street level. Below this level there is the possibility of Roman finds as it is just outside the wall of Roman Londinium.

“Excavation of the human remains will be completed before construction of the new Broadgate Ticket Hall commences. This will enable archaeologists to record and preserve London heritage and history. Crossrail will carefully rebury the remains after consulting with the Ministry of Justice.”

The spokesman added, “The burial site has been detailed on maps since the 16th century so it wasn’t a new find. It was first uncovered in modern times by the Broadgate Centre in around 1985. In early 2011 a Crossrail trial pit was dug and later in 2012 the full investigation will be undertaken by our in house team and Museum of London Archaeology.

The new Liverpool Street Station will provide interchanges with London Underground’s Northern, Central, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, connections to Stansted airport and National Rail services at Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations.

Andy Mitchell, Crossrail programme director said, “As with the Paddington, Farringdon and Whitechapel contracts, high quality bids were received for Liverpool Street station. The main construction contract for Tottenham Court Road station will be the next to be awarded in mid-2012.”