A huge boring machine which is creating some of the tunnels for phase one of HS2 in Warwickshire has become the first on the project to complete its full journey underground. The first bore of the one-mile tunnel under Long Itchington Wood has been dug in seven months by the 2,000-tonne machine nicknamed Dorothy.
The name is a nod to Dorothy Hodgkin, who in 1964 became the first British woman to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry. The 410-foot long machine started its journey in December and has just broken through its reception box.
Creating both bores of the tunnel, the machine has removed around 8.8 million cubic feet of mudstone and soil which is being transported to the on-site slurry treatment plant where the material is separated out before being reused on embankments and landscaping along the route.
Nearly 400 people working for HS2's main works civils contractor Balfour Beatty Vinci have delivered this element on the project.
The first phase of the high-speed rail project will run between London and Birmingham via Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds, Warwickshire and Solihull.
HS2's chief executive Mark Thurston said: "This is a historic moment for the HS2 project and I'd like to congratulate everyone involved in delivering it. The 400-strong team has pulled out all the stops to achieve this fantastic milestone.
"This milestone demonstrates the significant momentum behind Britain's new zero-carbon railway, creating thousands of jobs and apprenticeships, along with hundreds of opportunities for businesses right across the country, helping fuel our economic recovery."
Balfour Beatty Vinci's managing director Michael Dyke said: "This is a momentous moment, not only for us but everyone involved in delivering HS2. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team, Dorothy has made history, becoming the first to safely and successfully breakthrough along the route."
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