The Blackfriars Bridge Foreshore site is located on the north bank of the River Thames to the west of the Blackfriars Road Bridge. Blackfriars is one of Tideway’s largest sites, and one of a small number located in the heart of central London.
Blackfriars Bridge Foreshore
February 2020
At our Blackfriars Bridge Foreshore site, we are working across two areas of our cofferdam, a dry working area built out into the river.
In the western section of the cofferdam, we are constructing a 53m deep shaft which will combine and transport the intercepted sewage overflows in this location to our new tunnel, which is currently being dug underneath the River Thames. To construct our shaft, we installed concrete secant piles deep into the ground around the perimeter of the shaft, giving the structure it’s shape. We then installed a concrete capping beam to tie the top of the piles together. We have excavated the area within down to 25m, where we have paused excavation as we wait for Ursula, our eastbound tunnel boring machine launched from our Kirtling Street site in Battersea, to pass directly underneath this area. We will change Ursula’s cutting tools at this location as she prepares for the final part of her journey towards our Chambers Wharf site in Bermondsey. Once Ursula has completed her journey, we will continue to dig down within our shaft.
In the eastern section of our cofferdam, we are constructing a 3,500 tonne culvert tunnel that will later be floated on the river to connect into the combined sewage outlet (CSO) directly beneath Blackfriars Bridge. Once active, the culvert will intercept the sewage overflows from the CSO and redirect them towards our shaft. We have completed five concrete pours to create the base of the giant culvert and started constructing the giant walls as the structure begins to take shape.
We have removed almost 40m of river wall toe from the base of the river wall between our cofferdam and Blackfriars Bridge to clear the route for our floated culvert. The wall toe was cut away in 2m blocks, each weighing around 18 tonnes. Each block is being removed from the river, broken up and recycled.
If you would like to receive works updates via email, please contact [email protected]
What are our working hours?
Standard Working Hours
08:00 - 18:00 Monday - Friday
08:00 - 13:00 Saturday
Extended Working Hours
We are currently working the following hours in both cofferdams
07:00 - 18:00 Monday - Friday
07:00 - 13:00 Saturday
There is a one hour mobilisation period before and after Standard Working Hours, plus maintenance periods on Saturday 1-5pm and Sundays 10am-4pm.
If you would like to meet our team to discuss progress and updates, please contact [email protected]
- All static machinery and plant is screened or enclosed
- The excavated material handling area has been enclosed
- Vehicle movements are strictly limited to set times and coordinated to ensure that no lorries queue outside of the site
- Footpath diversions are clearly signposted
- Hoarding has been erected on the site boundaries
- Wherever possible, push (silent) piling has been used during the construction of Millennium Pier
There are lots of ways to find out what’s happening at this site, you can:
- Call our 24 hour Tideway Helpdesk 08000 30 80 80 or email [email protected]
- Take a moment to read the latest updates on the noticeboards on our hoardings.
- Email our dedicated Community Relations teams available to answer your questions or meet with you, via [email protected]
- Join our regular Community Liaison Working Group meetings, to attend the meetings or receive the minutes and presentations from past meetings, email [email protected].
You can also track our progress and what we're doing in our local communities on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
