Secondary lining completed on Tideway giant shaft

In an operation which began in October 2020, around 1,800m3 of concrete and 400t of steel reinforcement were required to create the 14 ascending shutter lifts. While this was happening, crews also worked on the shaft’s internal structures. The team will now continue to finish the heading beam at the top of the shaft and begin construction of the wall which will form the perimeter of new public space to be created on the riverside.

Two new areas of public realm extending into the foreshore will be created once construction is complete, allowing Londoners to get close up to the river. They will also be able to follow the Thames Path which is also being reinstated.

The Albert Embankment shaft is one of three giant structures that will connect London’s ageing Victorian sewer system to the new deep-level super sewer. The other two shafts are at Heathwall Pumping Station (28m deep) and Victoria Embankment (48m). Base slabs for the shafts are up to 3m thick and were created by continuous concrete pours to ensure consistent quality.

In total, Tideway will have 23 shafts designed to intercept sewage flows and convey them down into the new tunnel which has varying diameters and will run mainly under the River Thames at depths of 30-70m. Conveying sewage eastwards under gravity, the 25km-long tunnel is designed to intercept the roughly 39 million tonnes of raw sewage overflows estimated to enter the river every year. A total of six TBMs have been boring the tunnel, the largest of which has a diameter of 8.8m. Expected to cost around £4.1bn (US$5.47bn), the project is scheduled for completion in 2025.