Southern Water Storm Drain

Approximate route of tunnels

The Southern Water Storm Tunnel project was a £50 million project to alleviate flooding in the Hastings area during excessive rain. The project was completed during 1998 and involved boring a 7 metre high tunnel from Alexandra Park to Warrior Square (a distance of about a mile) using two TBM machines, the larger being a custom made Herrenknecht Mixshield tunneling machine with a smaller machine cutting 2 metre high tunnels connecting to other points across the town. Historian Richard Pollard was contracted to produce a photographic record of the construction of this. Since his site is no more unfortunately, the archive of his photos is now hosted on this wiki. The tunnel boring machines arrived on the old Bathing Pool site in 1998, being delivered on a barge - this was filmed by John Bishop in between his official role as a police constable:

Breakthrough[edit]

As the main tunnel boring machine broke through at Warrior Square a news report appeared on the television in 1999.

Demolition of Braybrooke Terrace Properties[edit]

Due to concerns about the vibration affecting the foundations of the properties, and possibly other structural defects, Nos 11-19 Braybrooke Terrace were demolished in July 1999

1066 People walk the tunnel[edit]

As the main tunnel was completed, on the 3rd of December 1999, 1066 people walked the length of the mile-long tunnel^[1].

February 2010 Failure[edit]

After over two inches of rain fell on the 21 Feb 2010, the tunnel between Warrior Square and Alexandra Park became full to capacity (52 Million Litres). This combined with an exceptionally high tide, overcame a man-hole on the connection between the pumps and the outfall by Warrior Square, resulting in the underground car park being flooded and necessitating over 3 miles of the A259 to be closed by police whilst water was pumped out and the road surface repaired.^[2]

Images[edit]

Braybrooke Terrace c1986
Alexandra Park Lining Segments
Alexandra Park, digging 22M shaft
Temporary Spoil Bin
Digging away at the base, as the spoil was removed hydraulic rams pushed down on the ring forcing the complete ring downwards, as more concrete rings were added the weight alone did most of the work.
Another view of the shaft.
Rock Crusher sitting on its new base but waiting for the roof to be installed.
Starting Shaft at Warrior Square.
Bolting on another ring of concrete segments at Warrior Square.
Hydraulic ram control panel.
Coombs Motors old showroom and garage site on Western Road, now the new site for the pumping station.
Coombs Motors old showroom and garage site on Western Road, now the new site for the pumping station.
Cage for accessing bottom of Alexandra Park Shaft
Settlement Tanks
Liquid/Settlement tanks
Rock crusher and shaking beds
Cornwallis Gardens preparing another shaft
Brooklands Close shaft
Brooklands Close shaft removing spoil for transportation to Alexandra Park
Brookland Close shaft showing exit tunnel to Alexandra Park. At this present time the exit was sealed as this was a live sewer intersection!!
Coombs site, showing main iron cutting ring on base of concrete liners that dug its way downwards under the weight of the rings above and with the aid of some hydraulic pressure in the form of rams pushing down on the top layer.
Building sound proof enclosures for the equipment, Alexandra Park.
Concreting shaft base, Alexandra Park.
Alexandra Park. Main 7m tunnel ring in place in readiness for the larger TBM, this will connect with Warrior Square.
Alexandra Park. ‘Little Ceel’ 2m TBM in readiness to bore its way to Brookland Close. (If you were wondering to how this 2m TBM arrived here……….well it came on the back of a few lorries in many pieces delivered straight into Alexandra Park, whereby it was lowered piece by piece down the shaft and put together, the brown marks on top are where the lifting eyes were cut off and ground flat.
2M tunnel linings.
Alexandra Park. Starting to assemble the conveyor belt housing that will carry the spoil away to the adjacent railway sidings to be carted away by train to a landfill in Kent.
Alexandra Park. Conveyor belt housings being prepared for assembly.
‘Little Ceel’ the 2m TBM preparing to drill its way to Brookland Close. The machine had been drilling but was withdrawn due to a fault on the cutting head, hence the worn look!
Entry port for 7M tunnel to Warrior Square from Alexandra Park.
Entry port for 7M tunnel to Warrior Square from Alexandra Park.
Conveyor belt over Braybrooke Road nearing completion.
Sidings behind Earl Street for conveyor to dump spoil ready to be removed by rail.
Coombs site during early stages of shaft digging.
Coombs site during early stages of shaft digging.
Coombs site during shaft digging, having hit a 3M thick layer of limestone.
Looking into access shaft at Coombs site.
Preparing to dig an access shaft at Braybrooke Terrace
Braybrooke Terrace site
Removing spoil by crane Braybrooke Terrace
Braybrooke Terrace shaft being dug.
Braybrooke Terrace shaft nearing completion.
General View of Coombs site.
View down shaft at Coombs site. Two diggers are now involved due to the limestone layer.
Preparing area at southern end of Warrior Square for digging.
Preparing area at southern end of Warrior Square for digging.
Conveyor belt over Braybrooke Road nearing completion
Conveyor belt sections.
Railway sidings about to be brought back into use.
View inside Conveyor belt.
‘Little Ceel’ TBM almost at Brookland Close. The rams behind the tunnel segments are pushing the TBM through with the linings behind. The TBM comes out at the other end leaving the bore fully lined with the concrete segments. The 7m tunnel entrance is being opened up in readiness for the big TBM after the removal of the 2m equipment is lifted out of the way.
Spoil arriving on the conveyor belt and placed into temporary storage bins.
Settling tanks in Alexandra park separating liquid from the solid matter.
The end of the conveyor belt system behind Earl Street.
Soundproof plant enclosures at Warrior Square.
Empty plant room at Warrior Square.
Cornwallis Gardens shaft being dug.
Coombs Site.
Coombs Site looking down shaft.
Barges carrying 'Janice' waiting for high tide to unload.
Barge carrying 'Janice' run ashore in preparation for unloading.
'Janice' being prepared to be transported by road to Alexandra Park overnight.
'Janice' being prepared to be transported by road to Alexandra Park overnight.
Construction of a temporary 'road' over the beach to ease loading.
Loading of 'Janice' onto lorries begins.
Loading of 'Janice' onto lorries begins.
Loading of 'Janice' onto lorries begins. An aerial platform permits a top down view for management.
'Little Ceel' cutting head brought to surface after completing boring at Brookland Close.
Brookland Close shaft after completion of boring. The staining is due to water that filled the tunnel after being dug.
Brookland Close site being decommissioned.
Cutting head of 'Janice' in Alexandra Park.
'Janice' being prepared for lowering into Alexandra Park shaft.
Work completed building storage bins alongside the railway sidings out of 480 old sleepers.
Braybrooke Terrace site viewed from Linton Road bridge.
Braybrooke Terrace shaft nearing completion.
Cornwallis Gardens site.
Warrior Square shaft being cleared in preparation for 'Janice'.
Coombs shaft base being concreted.
Groundwork at Coombs site in preparation for construction of pumping station.
Coombs site being prepared for construction of pumping station.
View showing the jaws of the 7M tunnelling machine.
Sealing rings of the 7M tunnelling machine.
Pumping equipment that went behind the TBM.
Hydraulic rams that propelled the 7M tunnelling machine.
800 ton crane being built to lower 'Janice' into the tunnel.
800 ton crane lowering 7M cutting head into the tunnel.
800 ton crane lowering 7M cutting head into the tunnel.
800 ton crane lowering 7M cutting head into the tunnel.
7M cutting head being located into correct position.
Guide ring being prepared.
Guide ring in position.
TBM supporting machinery.
TBM supporting machinery.
TBM supporting machinery.
TBM supporting machinery.
TBM supporting machinery.
TBM supporting machinery.
TBM supporting machinery.
11,000V supply for TBM.
'Little Ceel', having cut the tunnel to Brookland Close is now prepared to tunnel from Warrior Square to Coombs.
11,000V emergency generator at Alexandra Part in preparation for power cuts.
More parts of 'Janice' prepared for going underground.
The control room for 'Janice' prepared for going underground.
The control room for 'Janice' connected to the rest of the TBM.
Railway trucks waiting to be loaded with spoil.
Cornwallis Gardens shaft complete.
Walls being constructed in cast concrete at Coombs site.
Bottom of Coombs shaft prepared for concrete.
Inner ring being constructed at Coombs site. The gap between the rings is 2M and designed to be filled with water with the core dry.
Terrace of houses at Braybrooke Terrace that will need to be demolished for fear of cracking caused by TBM passing underneath.
Terrace of houses at Braybrooke Terrace that will need to be demolished for fear of cracking caused by TBM passing underneath.
Braybrooke Terrace demolition well in hand.
0.8M gauge railway to transport staff through tunnel to TBM.
Narrow gauge trucks to transport lining segments to TBM.
Narrow gauge railway laid behind TBM in Alexandra Park shaft.
Coombs site. Footings for pumping equipment etc.
Coombs site. Outer walls now complete.
General view of Cornwallis Gardens site.
'Little Ceel' on surface at Cornwallis Gardens being prepared for final journey underground to the Town Centre.
The no longer needed cutting head from 'Little Ceel'
Replacement cutting head for 'Little Ceel'
Town Centre site
View of town centre works associated with Southern Water Storm Drain 1998
Town Centre Site
Digging town centre shaft
Demolition of Braybrook Terrace
Braybrooke Terrace site
Braybrooke Terrace
Braybrooke Terrace
Braybrooke Terrace
Coombs Site inner ring
General view of Coombs shaft
Inner ring nearing completion
Cornwallis Gardens shaft
Start of tunnelling from Cornwallis Gdns to Town Centre
View from base of Alexandra Park shaft to Brooklands Close
View looking out from Brooklands Close Tunnel
Rear of cutting shield
Traverser that positions lining elements
Hydraulic Rams
Behind cutting face
Pumping Station
Pumping station construction
145-1
View up hand dug tunnel in Warrior Square
Digging small tunnel at Warrior Square
View of main tunnel from Alexandra Park
Steelwork for main pumping station
Pumping station steelwork
Beach being prepared for overflow
Storm drain outfall nearing completion
Starting to build facing walls at pumping station
Pumping station valve chamber
Valve chamber at pumping station
Looking down Town centre shaft
Connection from Cornwallis Gardens to main tunnel
Looking up from bottom of Cornwallis Gardens shaft
Looking up Braybrooke Terrace shaft
Hand dug tunnel conecting Alexandra Park shaft to existing pipe
Spoil from tunnel
Storm drain site at Cornwallis Gardens being cleared c1999
Backfilling Cornwallis Gardens shaft.
Backfilling Cornwallis Gardens
Lining main tunnel
Bolting lining in place
Placing lining segment
Roofing of the pumping station c2000
Roof gardens being prepared at pumping station c1999
Crane ready to lift TBM
Bearing housing being removed
Storm Drain cutter head c2000
TBM cutting head post-journey
Retrieving TBM section
TBM rams being removed from Storm Drain c2000
TBM after recovery from shaft
One slightly used tunnelling machine
Clearing Alexandra Park site
Cornwallis Gardens reinstatement c1999
Demolition of Braybrooke Terrace c1998
Tractor to remove portions of TBM
Capping Alexandra Park storm drain shaft c2000
Filtration equipment being placed at Alexandra Park
Plaque on 1066th ring
219
Walking down the Storm Drain
Storm drain vent disguised as a clock tower c2000
Alexandra Park vent pipe
Clearing up Warrior Square storm drain site c2000
Tiling with Southern Water logo at pumping station
Clearing Alexandra Park site
Capping Alexandra Park storm drain shaft c2000
Capping Warrior Square Storm Drain shaft c2000
Alexandra Park Vent Pipe
Warrior Square reinstatement c2000
Pumping Station interior c2000
Sludge bins in pumping station
First lawn at Alexandra Park c2000
Alexandra park entrance c2000
Alexandra Park vent pipe
Re-instated garage at Brookland Close
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