London bids for WTC 2019
29 January 2016GREAT BRITAIN – The British Tunnelling Society has formally announced its candidacy to host the World Tunnel Congress and ITA General Assembly in 2019. The capital London is the city put forward by the BTS steering committee for the bid in January 2016. The vote will take place at WTC 2016 in San Francisco this April.
As well as the city's world class facilities and abundant tourist attractions, the 100-page bid looks at the impressive investment in underground infrastructure recently enjoyed by the capital, as well as the upcoming pipeline of works.
By 2019 the UK will be celebrating the completion of Crossrail, the largest current infrastructure project in Europe. Crossrail will actually be in service by this point, propelling international visitors through the capital from Heathrow Airport directly to the planned WTC 2019 venue: the ExCel Exhibition Centre.
At the same time, major tunnelling investment for the Thames Tideway CSO project in London will be underway and substantial works of the second high-speed rail link in the UK, from London to Birmingham, will be progressing.
Additionally, the UK will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the iconic Channel Tunnel subsea rail link to the continent, the Institution of Civil Engineers will be celebrating its 200th anniversary, and the Brunel Tunnel under the Thames River will have provided more than 175 years of continuous service.
A spokesman for the BTS said: "The UK is recognised as a spiritual home of modern era underground and tunnel engineering, with the Brunel Tunnel being the first subaqueous tunnel through soft ground and using a mechanical shield. From there, British engineers have continued the process of development and innovation, culminating today in the application of state-of-the-art techniques and the introduction of new systems in the fields of robotics, electronics and installations for long-term monitoring of underground structures through their design-life.
"This historic and current connection to the tunnelling industry in the UK inspired selection by the BTS of the conference theme
'From Pioneering to Modern Possibilities.'"
The spokesman added: "The UK and the BTS has a long connection with the ITA-AITES. It is one of the original founding nations of the Association and Sir Alan Muir Wood, as its first President (1974 - 1977), became its Life-Time Honorary President. The annual Muir Wood Memorial Lecture in the opening session of every WTC is a legacy to Sir Alan's commitment to the worldwide tunnelling and underground space construction industry.
"The BTS then nominated and supported two further UK Presidents of the ITA in Colin Kirkland (1989 - 1992) and Martin Knights (2007 - 2010). In addition, BTS members are heavily involved in the ITA Working Groups and the foundation of the ITA Young Members forum. The UK Society remains a champion of the workings of the Association and its future expansion. BTS last hosted the WTC and ITA General Assembly in 1991 and would relish the opportunity to host the international delegation in 2019."
