DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SERVICE TUNNEL AT EDINBURGH CASTLE . TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION 90. PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION 90 CONFERENCE, ORGANIZED BY THE INSTITUTION OF MINING AND METALLURGY, LONDON, 3-4 APRIL, 1990

A 6 M programme is underway at present to improve the facilities for visitors to Edinburgh Castle. Phase I of the project includes a single lane vehicle and services tunnel 200 m long of which 97 m is excavated in rock. The paper outlines the work associated with the 20 cubic metre face area tunnel and concentrates on two special aspects of the work. First, the constraints required to control the blasting of both the open cut and below ground rock excavations which are in very close proximity to historic buildings. Secondly, the tight physical and operational restraints of constructing the tunnel within the environs of a Castle which, during the summer, often caters for 6000 or more tourists per day.(A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 828810.