Severn Trent launched its biggest tunnel boring machine in Newark this week as part of the company’s £60 million waste and water overhaul in the town.
Known as the ‘Siege Breaker’, the machine weighs 160 tonnes and is 75 metres in length.
Nick Wallace from Severn Trent said:
“This work really forms a pinnacle part of the project. The huge tunnel the machine will move us even closer to putting our bigger and better sewer pipes underground that will help protect our customers from sewer flooding.
“When finished, the ‘Siege Breaker’ will have created a tunnel that’s nearly three kilometres long that’s big enough to drive a transit van down, and by choosing to tunnel, means we’ve massively reduced the amount of disruption in the town.”
Severn Trent is currently investing £60 million to improve the water and waste services in Newark, with contract partners BNM Alliance carrying out the work.
This is the company’s largest investment in the East Midlands, with work expected to be completed by 2020.
When completed, more than 400 homes and businesses will have extra protection from sewer flooding, with 15 miles of new and improved water and waste pipes built for Newark.
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