Keltbray has been awarded a contract to provide key environmental solutions on the Silvertown Tunnel, on behalf of Transport for London (TfL) and Riverlinx CJV (Ferrovial Construction, BAM Nuttall & SK Ecoplant).

Works will include the transportation of excavated material via barges capable of carrying up to 1800 tonnes. One barge uses 35% less carbon when compared with traditional transportation methods.

The Silvertown Tunnel involves the construction of a twin-bore road tunnel providing a new connection between the A102 Blackwall Tunnel Approach on Greenwich Peninsula, and the Tidal Basin Roundabout junction on the A1020 Lower Lea Crossing/Silvertown Way. Construction is now well underway with the launch chamber for the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) now being excavated ahead of the arrival of the TBM in Spring 2022.


The scope of key environmental services Keltbray will provide include:

• All labour, plant, equipment, facilities, materials, services, supervision and any resource necessary to carry out and complete the analysis and classification testing

• Provide barges capable of carrying up to 1800 tonnes to receive excavated material from the work sites and take to restoration sites for recovery

• Stockpile management including treatment and/or mixing of material

• Transportation, off-loading and disposal of all construction waste

After applying treatment procedures to construction materials which may involve either mechanical or physio-chemical processes, the material is subsequently used to benefit restoration sites along the River Thames.

Keltbray set the target of implementing the waste hierarchy by achieving 90% (or greater) reuse or recycling of construction and demolition waste, and 95% (or greater) reuse or recycling of clean excavated material.

Cliff Burton, Managing Director, Environmental Services at Keltbray commented: "Keltbray is pleased to have secured this major package of environmental works with the Riverlinx CJV to deliver on the Silvertown Tunnel, our environmental solutions will ensure significant carbon reductions on the project. Many construction projects have set a target to reduce the carbon footprint of construction – not only do we offer shorter road journeys but we are fully committed to using the River Thames as a transportation highway by using 1000 tonne barges from Thames Wharf, which offers considerable carbon savings."