Image courtesy of Thames Tideway
A huge pipe-jacking machine has been craned out of a construction site at Putney in London following the part-closure of Putney Bridge.
The crane was used from the south side of the bridge to remove the machine, which has been used in the construction of the new 25km Thames Tideway Tunnel, which will prevent millions of tonnes of sewage from entering the River Thames. The bridge was closed for 24 hours.
At the Putney site, a 43m tunnel that will connect a combined sewage overflow (CSO) point under Putney Bridge to the new sewer – which is currently under construction to stop sewage overflowing into the river – was recently excavated using the machine. This CSO currently spills around 68,000m3 of raw sewage into the River Thames each year.
The team successfully “lifted and shifted” the pipe-jacking machine from the foreshore onto a lorry.
The bridge closure was managed by the site team with support from Transport for London, and Wandsworth, and Hammersmith and Fulham Councils.
Putney project manager David Miles said: “The amount of strategic planning that went into this lift must be considered when we reflect on its success. From engineering, to traffic and logistics, and key stakeholder interface, the team remained focused on a positive result for all.
“The community were also out in force to witness the event, where we fielded many questions on Tideway overall, as well as the scope we were delivering.”
