Fläkt Woods Chosen for Blackwall Tunnel

in London

Fläkt Woods, in conjunction with the M&E Sub contractor VVB Engineering Services Ltd, has been awarded the contract to supply the fans for the ventilation system for the contract to upgrade the 113 year old northbound bore of the Blackwall tunnel in London, which is all set to be completed in December - one year ahead of schedule.

The Blackwall Tunnel is one of the vital highway links in east London, the twin road tunnels run underneath the River Thames, linking Tower Hamlets with Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The first tunnel is 1364m long and carries northbound traffic; the second carries the southbound traffic.

Work includes installing new ventilation fans in the tunnel’s four shafts as well as new lighting, upgraded CCTV and new communications systems installed throughout the tunnel. The client, Transport for London, (TfL) has also begun installing 26 ‘safe areas’ or ‘niches’ inside the tunnel, including emergency phones and fire extinguishers, for use by any drivers whose vehicles have broken down within the tunnel.

Fläkt Woods is providing 16 of their 160JMFTS vertically mounted smoke vent category: 400 degrees C for 2 hour type fans, as well as JM type axial fans. Principal contractor BAM Nuttall along with their specialist M&E contractor VVB Engineering are responsible for the upgrade works as well as resurfacing the entire 1.4 km tunnel, neither of which can be carried out during the tunnels’ routine maintenance closure programme.

There will be seven weekend closures in the scheme when completed, three less than originally planned. TfL said one of the reasons the project will be completed early is because sections of the work have been able to be carried out during the day, as well as in night time closures which have taken place since the start of the contract.