Long Itchington Wood tunnel
Under an ancient woodland
Long Itchington Wood tunnel is 1 mile (1.6km) long twin-bore tunnel beneath an ancient woodland in Warwickshire. TBM Dorothy was launched in December 2021 and completed both bores of the tunnel by March 2023.
Tunnel construction
The 125 metres long TBM Dorothy started boring the tunnel at the north portal in December 2021 and broke through into the south portal in July 2022. She was then relaunched in November 2022 and completed her second bore in just four months. This made Long Itchington Wood tunnel the first HS2 twin bore tunnel to be completed.
After the first breakthrough, the TBM was taken apart, extracted out of the portal and brought back to the tunnel’s north portal to start boring the second tunnel. The gantries were brought back through the tunnel. The cutterhead, weighing 160 tonnes and with a 10-metre diameter, was moved by road during the night.
Excavating two tunnel drives and the entrance sections produced about 750,000 tonnes of material. This was reused to build embankments along the route.
Protecting a woodland
Long Itchington Wood and neighbouring Ufton Wood are ancient woodlands, dating back to at least the 1600s. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), they support complex ecosystems that have evolved over centuries.
The Long Itchington Wood tunnel, beneath the woodland, is part of our environmental strategy to preserve and protect this vital natural habitat.
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