FLYING AHEAD AT TERMINAL 5

This article describes the four bored tunnels that comprise the Terminal 5 (T5) project at Heathrow airport. The 4.1 km long Storm Water Outfall Tunnel (SWOT) is intended to take the increased surface water runoff from the new Terminal 5 and its paved areas to an area 2 km south of the airport. A service tunnel under the A3044 roadway. which provides access to the T5 site from the west for power and other services, involves twin 140 m long tunnels constructed by pipe jack. The Heathrow Express Extension (HExEx) will be a twin bore 3.2 km long tunnel that will connect the existing Heathrow Express line to a new station that will be a part of the main T5 Terminal. Finally, the Piccadilly Extension (PiccEx), a twin bore 1.7 km long tunnel, will provide an extension from the existing Piccadilly London Underground line to a new underground station also at the T5 Terminal.