THE GOLDEN MILE

The article describes the Limehouse link road in London's dockland where a tunnel is to pass below the Limehouse basin, Limehouse dock and emerge beside the Docklands Light Railway. Community and environmental issues have played a large part in the development. A cut and cover tunnel is the most environmentally suitable option allowing the areas to be reinstated above it, including buildings of up to five storeys. The horizontal alignment is sinuous to minimize demolition and an underground grade separated junction is incorporated. Existing roads, kept open by temporary Bailey bridges during construction, will be restored to their original alignments when the tunnel is completed. Ground conditions are not ideal and site investigation has been very extensive. Most of the box construction will be top down but a different method will be used beneath the Limehouse basin. A bund will be built filling the north side of the basin and excavation will take place within a cofferdam to base slab level and construction bottom up. Diaphragm walling has followed extensive probing along the lines of the walls to a depth of 10m for obstructions, and a jetty is being built next to Limehouse dock to permit materials to be brought by river. (TRRL)