Construction of the Crossrail project began at North Dock in Canary Wharf less than three years ago. Since then the construction team has driven more than 1,000 piles and pumped nearly 100 million litres of dock water. Approximately 300,000 tonnes of material has been excavated from beneath the dock bed and almost 375,000 tonnes of concrete poured.
Canary Wharf Contractors Ltd, the construction arm of Canary Wharf Group, has created a station box that is more than 250m long and 30m wide. Canary Wharf Crossrail station will be one of the largest stations on the Crossrail route.
Some 28m metres below the surface of the dock, twin 7.6m diameter rings are now in place at both ends of the station ready to receive the eastern tunnel boring machines.
Canary Wharf Contractors executive director Cliff Bryant said: “We are very proud to have played our part in a project which will benefit London for many generations to come. Credit must be given to our workforce and supply chain, many of them local east Londoners, who have responded to a very challenging brief and delivered it to Crossrail ahead of time and within budget.”
Crossrail area director central Bill Tucker said: “Construction of Crossrail’s first excavated platform level is now complete and has been delivered five months early by Canary Wharf Group. Preparations will now begin for the arrival of the tunnel boring machines next year. When the tunnelling machines breakthrough into the station box from the east they will undergo maintenance before being moved to the other end of the station box where they will then set off on their journey en route to Farringdon via Whitechapel and Liverpool Street stations.”
Construction of the Canary Wharf Crossrail station box generated approximately 200,000 cubic metres of excavated material. About a quarter of this was reused on site and the rest was reused at regeneration areas including Pitsea and Hoo Island to create habitats for flora and fauna.
Crossrail’s eastern tunnelling contractor Dragados Sisk JV will soon start enabling works to receive the two TBMs that will be launched from Limmo Peninsula later this year.
After the TBMs pass through, Canary Wharf Group will fit out the station, with this work due to complete in 2015. Work will continue to construct the levels sitting directly above the station box.
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