Crossrail station tunnels award

14 January 2011

Crossrail has awarded a GBP 235M (USD 373M) contract to a joint venture of Balfour Beatty, Alpine BeMo Tunnelling, Morgan Sindall and Vinci Construction for construction of the Liverpool Street and Whitechapel station tunnel contracts, according to a statement issued by Balfour Beatty.

The joint venture group appears to be unsuccessful in winning a main running tunnels contract, according to Crossrail announced intentions, but this work is also a substantial win. Balfour Beatty says it has a share of approximately 30 per cent of joint venture and that the JV will provide the full range of skills, resources and technical expertise for the complex project (see picture). The contract covers the construction of all station tunnels and associated works in this stretch. The Crossrail station, located deep beneath existing London Underground platforms, will provide interchanges with London Underground’s Central, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines as well as the Northern Line, plus connections to London Stansted Airport and national rail services.

In mid-2009 a team of consultants, with lead design by Mott MacDonald, was appointed to work on Liverpool Street station including enabling works to create sufficient space. Mott Macdonald has a dedicated sprayed concrete lining (SCL) design team to standardise the approach to this discipline. Crossrail says that a connection between Crossrail and London Underground’s Northern Line and the neighbouring Moorgate Station involves a particularly challenging SCL stairway construction beneath an existing deep escalator adjacent to Northern Line platforms.

A 40m-deep box structure will be located on Blomfield Street accommodate ventilation, electrical and mechanical systems equipment and there will be a new ticket hall beneath Liverpool Street close to the Broadgate development.

Crossrail announced an improved design for Whitechapel Station last June. There will be four new structures: the 200m-long Crossrail platforms in tunnel, Cambridge Heath Shaft, Durward Heath Street, plus the ticket hall and concourse. A bank of three escalators to the new concourse will link the platform tunnels. Tunnels will be excavated from a temporary shaft at one of the Cambridge Heath Shaft worksite.

Crossrail has also submitted a planning application with detailed designs for Bond Street Station in London’s West End. The new Crossrail station will be integrated with the existing London Underground station.