Ross-on-Wye

The spillway is now nearly complete and the bank has been lowered. A small concete barrier has been formed in order to prevent the bank from being washed out in the event of a flood.

The spillway
(Click for a larger image)

Work on the rising shaft is now complete and only the final tidying up phase is required to complete the works at the Homs Road Car Park. The car park has now been reinstated, the footbridge over the brook rebuilt and the excavation equipment removed.

The new footbridge is slightly further upstream than the original one. This is because of the length of the bank area needed to allow for the exit grill.

This is the view down the rising shaft. The supplied and machinery etc that were needed to support the tunnelling machine are in the process of being removed. The tunnel, and completed mouth, is at the top of the shot. At the bottom is the now blocked off back shunt.

The top of the rising shaft is being worked on so that the final structure around the top of the shaft can be built.

During the heavy rains that have recently fallen, the River Wye has flooded but even so there is still around 200mm between the top of the weir and the water thus indicating that very heavy rainfall will be needed to cause the tunnel to come into use.

The tunnelling machine has broken through into the falling shaft.

The machine was then lifted out of the shaft and put onto a low loader lorry ready for transport away from the site.

Here we see that the ramp between the lower and upper King Acre car park is in the process of being rebuilt. The base of the ramp is in place and the drains are being put in place ready for the tarmac to be laid.

In the Kings Acre car park area the banks of the Rudhall Brook have been reinforced with sand bags so that they do not get washed out.

The entrance to the weir chamber has now been completed.

Up the stream from where the sluice used to stand at Fiveways, the bed of the Rudhall Brook is paved. Presumably this was done to help control the brook as it ran past the sluice and on into the mill.

The banks of the Rudhall Brook have been tidied up and the water is being allowed to flow unrestricted over the area where the sluice gate used to stand.

The weir has been completed and the shuttering has been removed.

The outlet of the culvert at Fiveways has had the final cap of concrete added so that it is now in its final state.

This is the inlet to the culvert with the barrier in place.

The temporary bridge on the Broadmeadows Industrial Estate has been removed leaving only the completed permanent one.

The top of the falling shaft has been removed.

The end of the culvert has been completed.

The formers/shuttering for the inside of the wall that will form the weir have been put in place. The steel reinforcing for the wall has been put in place ready for the outer shuttering to be positioned and the concrete to be poured.

The throttle is now close to being completed. The banks have been landscaped and the bottom of the channel has been reinforced with stone to help prevent erosion.

These are the formers for the wall that will be the weir around the entrance to the tunnel that runs down to Homs Road.

The inspection chamber has been cast in concrete and is being sealed prior to being covered over.

The outlet of the culvert at is being prepared to have the final layer of concrete formed on the top section.

Further work is being carried out preparing the culvert inlet and the banks on either side have started to be landscaped.

In the bottom of the weir chamber the reinforcing bars are being positioned ready for the base of the chamber to be completed.

The top of the falling shaft in the weir chamber has been removed.

The entrance to the weir chamber can now be clearly seen.

In order to create the weir, the top of the falling shaft has to be removed and the low wall which forms the weir shuttered and cast where the top of the shaft once stood.

The blocks were lifted off in sections using a crane.

The final blocks around where the bottom of the weir chamber sits need to be removed using a little more force where they have become fused to the concrete.

The walls at the culvert inlet have been completed. Now the grating to prevent access and to prevent debris from entering the channel can be built.

The steel reinforcing around the inspection chamber is being added ready for the concrete to be added.

The throttle facing has been completed and the banks have been built up around the throttle.

All the remaining piles around the top of the falling shaft/weir chamber have been pulled out.

The inspection chamber has now been formed with an inspection shaft to allow entry into the chamber if required.

Shuttering has been used to shape the end of the culvert and concrete has been poured to form the structure.

The outer wall of the weir chamber has been built and the piles have been removed.

The throttle walls have been in filled with clay so that it forms a good barrier if the bund becomes filled with water.

The area outside of the sectional wall has been filled with concrete.

The inspection chamber has now been formed.

This is the outer wall of the weir chamber. The area outside of this will be filled with concrete. Each of the sections that make up the wall has pins out of the rear to tie them into the supporting concrete.

This is an inspection chamber being added to potentially accommodate future changes. To the left can be seen the point where a pipe can be added if it is required.

The outer wall is formed of precast sections as seen here. These are lowered into the pit using a crane (below right). The sections are locked together using keys as seen in the below left photo.

The concrete blocks, on the right, have been laid around what will be the outer edge of the weir chamber. On top of these the outer wall will be built and then back filled with concrete to form the chamber. The blocks will then be removed so that the slab that forms the base of the chamber will go under the outer wall.

The culvert exit at Fiveways is now being faced to form the final exit point.

The base for what will be the weir has been laid. To the right is the falling shaft and to the left can be seen the edge of the exit from the bifurcation chamber.

This is the place where the water in the bifurcation chamber will flow out around the weir. The water will then go down into the falling shaft and tunnel in the event that the water becomes deep enough.

This is the place where the water in the bifurcation chamber will flow out around the weir. The water will then go down into the falling shaft and tunnel in the event that the water becomes deep enough.

The inside of the walls of the throttle have now been coated with a black waterproof coating to help protect them.

The area around the falling shaft has now been excavated.

Excavations have started around the top falling shaft.

The new pipe for the Chase Brook has been partially covered over. In the foreground can be seen the top of the inspection chamber.

Further excavations have been carried out at the spillway. In order to finish this, all that is needed is a layer of grass, to hold the soil together, and the lowering of the bank of the stream to the required level to allow the water to flow out if it gets too deep.

Piles have been driven in all around the top of the falling shaft. This will allow the area inside to be excavated so that the weir can be created.

The sides of the throttle have been completed.

This is the entrance to the new culvert. The base has been laid and the work to build the sides is soon to start.

The new pipe to channel the Chase Brook has been laid.

The Chase Brook pipe
[Courtesy of Nuttall's]
(Click for a larger image)

The tunnelling works have been stepped up to run 24-hours a day for the next eight weeks to make up for time lost due to problems with the tunnelling machine. Contractor Morgan Est started the 24-hour working this week to hopefully make up the time so the scheme can be completed in September as was planned. The 24-hour working will be confined to weeknights with the work halted on Saturday and Sunday nights.

The delays have been due to the "teeth" on the 50m long tunnelling machine as they have not been able to cope with the variety of rock types encountered underground. Each set of teeth are designed for a specific rock type and are much less efficient when used on other types. The initial surveys done predicted much greater consistency in the bedrock.

The photo below was a night shot taken showing the end of the culvert prior to it becoming flooded.

The culvert
(Click for a larger image)

The brook that runs across the bottom of the Chase grounds used to join the Rudhall Brook at Kings Acre. As a result of the works it has been diverted so that it now joins into the culvert. Because this brook also ran down a small culvert that was in very poor condition, this has been excavated so that a new pipe can be laid.

In this shot, the Broadmeadows both the temporary (foreground) and new bridges (behind) over the brook can be seen. The temporary bridge is due to be removed.

A stream of lorries have been arriving at the bund to deliver and remove various materials to and from this area as the works continue.

The main walls of the throttle have been cast. The only areas that remain to be done are the areas over the opening.

The area has been further cleared ready for continuing works.

Shuttering has been placed and concrete poured to form the base.

Because work is being carried out in the sluice area, at the exit point of the new culvert, the stream has been diverted to keep it well away from the work area.

The gravel and dirt that has fallen down the sides has been removed ready for further works to be carried out.

The grate off the old culvert has been put to the side awaiting removal.

The Kings Acre car park site at Fiveways has been cleared. The large crane has gone and the spoil clamp etc has been removed.

A large pipe has been placed in the Rudhall Brook to guide the water past the old slice area.

Fiveways/Kings Acre car park area
(Click for a larger image)

The Broadmeadows bridge is now complete and is regularly in use now that the caravan park is open for the summer.

The throttle is well under way with its construction.

The old culvert has now been replaced with a concrete slab base and the end of the new culvert.

This is a view of the left-hand front wall. The rear wall is being prepared so that the shuttering can be put up around it.

Being as this crane is not currently needed, it is being removed. The crane has had its jib removed so that it can be more easily transported.

The shuttering is now being manoeuvred around so that it can be used to form another one of the walls.

One wall has been cast and the shuttering has been removed. The stepped face has been done as the banks will be built up to the level of the stepping and then the wall will be faced with stone or a similar material.

This is the view down the rising shaft at Homs Road. The track that the train runs on, with engine is in the back shunt, can be clearly seen along with the tunnel ventilation system that runs down the shaft in the top left of the shot. The bottom left are the services, such as power and water, to the tunnelling machine. To the top right are water pumps and pipes coming up the shaft to allow any water that seeps into the shaft to be pumped out. At the top is the access tower that allows the engineers to climb down into the shaft.

In this area can be seen the trucks used to remove the spoil from the tunnelling. To the left can just be seen the sections that are used to form the tunnel walls.

This is the remaining part of the old culvert that ran from Broadmeadows to Fiveways as seen from the Broadmeadows end. The grate that prevented access to the old culvert can be seen in the middle of the shot. It is clear that very little remains of the culvert and this will soon be replaced.

The digger is backfilling over the top of the new culvert as it makes its way from Kings Acre towards Broadmeadows.

At the throttle, the preparation and construction of the shuttering is continuing.

The slab has been poured and the base of the falling shaft has been completed.

The hole in the base, top right, is there so that there is a low point in the bottom of the shaft so that water will collect there so that it can be pumped out.

In order to prevent foul water building up in the tunnel any water that seeps into the tunnel or the falling and rising shafts will be pumped out. It has to be remembered that this tunnel will only be used very occasionally; during extreme flooding situations.

The channel between the Broadmeadows Bridge at the caravan park and the Broadmeadows Industrial Estate Bridge has been completed.

The reinforcing steelwork has been positioned in the bottom of the falling shaft and the concrete slab will be poured in thus forming the base.

Shuttering is being erected so that the walls of the throttle can be poured.

The bottom of the falling shaft is having reinforcing steel put in place. This is ready for the concrete slab, that will form its base, to be poured.

Since it was sunk, the falling shaft has been pumped out to ensure it does not get flooded.

Additionally the point where the tunnel from the rising shaft in Homs Road has been prepared.

The bifurcation chamber has been covered over and the only remaining visible part is the top of the inspection hatch.

This is the new bridge on the Broadmeadows Industrial Estate. The temporary bridge that has been used during the works is to the right.

The final section/the end of the old culvert is about to be finally removed. Light can be seen through the remaining part thus showing exactly how little remains.

This is the remaining section of the old culvert from Broadmeadows to Fiveways. A small amount of water from the brook can be seen flowing out of the culvert and into the area to be occupied by the new culvert.

The result of the culvert works can be seen here. The point where the Chase Brook and the Chatterley Brook¹ meet can be seen in the bottom centre of the photo. The formers and steel reinforcing is being placed in preparation for the concrete to be poured.

Various items of large earth moving equipment have been delivered to the bund area so that the bank for the main bund can be built.

The Broadmeadows bridge has had fencing added around it so that it is ready for use prior to the Easter holiday period.

Work continues on the culvert and a massive crane was used to rapidly lift and manoeuvre the sections of the culvert into position.

This meant that the sections that would normally take several days to move and position were completed in one day even though the weather was deteriorating throughout the day. Due to the size of the crane, and the relatively light tunnel sections that were being lifted, it was not affected by the wind.

The massive crane
[Courtesy of Nuttall's]
(Click for a larger image)

Preparations are being made to face the parapet with brickwork so that its appearance is improved.

This the remaining section of the original Broadmeadows to Fiveways culvert seen from the Broadmeadows end.

This is the point where the brook that runs across the bottom of the Chase Hotel grounds will join with the culvert. Here a junction box is being specially created to accommodate this at the end of the sectional tunnel.

This is the point where the brook that runs across the bottom of the Chase Hotel grounds will join with the culvert. Here a junction box is being specially created to accommodate this at the end of the sectional tunnel.

This is the view looking from the Broadmeadows end of the culvert towards the falling shaft at Fiveways.

In the shot to the left more parts of the tunnel boring machine can be seen and below are a couple of photos of the engine that will be used to pull the spoil trucks out of the tunnel to the rising shaft so that the material can be lifted to the surface.

The trench has now been excavated ready for the tunnel sections to be put into place. The mouth of the new culvert is clearly visible.

The digging out of the material along the line of the culvert continues at a rapid rate. The old culvert can be just seen in the middle of the shot.

The work on the culvert continues and additional piles have been put in to allow the trench to be extended. Towards the bottom-left of the shot can be seen a piece of masonry, this is the remains of a manhole that was in the path of the works that needed to be removed.

The area that is the entrance to the Broadmeadows Caravan Park is under heavy construction. The pipes are pumping water around the site to Fiveways so that the works can continue without the area filling up with water.

On the Fiveways to Broadmeadows culvert more sections have been added. The concrete is being poured to hold them in place whilst sand bags are used to retain the concrete where it is required.

The removal of the material from the bottom of the falling shaft continues and, as can be seen in the photo, the falling shaft is now around 6m deep.

Work continues on the falling shaft
[Courtesy of Nuttall's]
(Click for a larger image)

Here at the Fiveways site we see the complement of the rising shaft down Homs Road.

This is the top of the falling shaft where the water will drop down into the new tunnel.

The work on the falling shaft continues and it is now several metres deep, each ring is 1000mm (1m) high.

More sections of the new culvert have been put into place.

The material inside the piles is being removed, the old culvert can be clearly seen in the centre of the photo.

At the Homs Road site more parts of the tunnelling equipment are arriving and the machine underground is being prepared with its various umbilical cables being arranged and connected up.

The work on the falling shaft at Fiveways/Kings Acre has started. The material that has been dug out, by the excavator that can be seen in the background, is being put into the clamp ready to be moved out to the bund.

This spoil storage clamp has been built to temporarily store the material that is dug out of the falling shaft as it is dug out. The spoil will then be moved out of the clamp, via lorry, to the bund where it will be stored for use later our used to build the bund itself.

Here the piles and supporting framework, to stop the piles collapsing in when the material between them is removed, can be seen. This will allow the culvert between Fiveways and Broadmeadows to be more rapidly put in place.

Some pipe sections have been delivered to the bund area so that a temporary throttle can be created. They are also to used to create bridges over watercourses that run across the bund area to allow machinery and equipment to be more easily moved around the area.

Here the top of the bifurcation chamber is being completed by hand after the concrete had been poured to form "the lid" of the chamber.

Today the front part of the tunnelling machine arrived on the back of a low-loader lorry. The scale can be seen when compared to the person stood next to it showing that it has around a 6' diameter.

Traditionally, like ships, tunnelling machines are given names and this one has been named Victoria.

This machine is designed to cut through the bed rock and should be able to cover 10-20 meters a day. The spoil is carried back by an Archemedes screw mechanism where it is then loaded into trucks that follow the machine.

Here the shuttering/former has been put in place so that the top of the chamber can be added so that the concrete can be poured on top of this. To the middle left can be seen the shuttering which will form the man access so that the chamber can be inspected.

In the bottom of the rising shaft the rails are being put in place that will initially carry the tunnelling machine into place and subsequently the engine and trucks to remove the spoil from the tunnelling operation.

The bifurcation chamber has now been drained or the flood water has receded and the resulting mess caused by the flooding can be clearly seen.

Here the water can be seen pouring over the site where the sluice used to be.

These are pumping water down to the point where the pipe ends at Fiveways just prior to where the mill race was located.

Pumps in the Chatterley Brook
[Courtesy of Nuttall's]
(Click for a larger image)

This area further up the Rudhall Brook is going to be the spillway. Here, as partially seen in the photo to the left, the bank will be lowered to form a green spillway.

The bank will be lowered so that when the level in the brook rises to a level that could overwhelm the banks further down stream towards Ross, then the water will flow out here and be retained behind the bund. The water level flowing down the brook and from the bund can then be regulated to greatly reduce the likelihood of flooding due to the Rudhall and Chatterley¹ Brooks.

Here we see that the drainage pipes have now made it to the edge of the site at Fiveways.

This is the bifurcation chamber during the floods. As can be seen in the photo, various bits of the shuttering are floating around in the flood water.

The tunnel sections have been added where the bridge over the Chatterley Brook¹ once was. Unfortunately the heavy rain has flooded the area thus making work much harder.

This is a view from the other direction of the square pipes in the channel as the work continues on the bridge.

Now the pipes have been added from just upstream of the Broadmeadows Caravan Park entrance bridge all around the site to a point somewhere between Broadmeadows Industrial Estate and the Kings Acre/Fiveways car park.

These piles, each 5m long, are being driven into the ground so that a trench can be dug out without the sides collapsing. The tunnel sections can then be laid into the trench as it makes its way towards Broadmeadows from the Fiveways/Kings Acre Car park area. To the right can be seen the back of J.S.Carpets new store.

This method of working is easier then using the box clamps, which can be seen at the bottom of the shot (the yellow and green pieces of equipment), and should mean that progress will be quicker and easier for the people working in the trench.

In the photo the opening that can be seen to the bottom left is the where the tunnel boring machine will start its journey to the Fiveways/Kings Acre site.

This steelwork is the tunnel entrance support that can be seen in the shaft photo above.

This is a view looking from a different angle at the various bits of equipment that can be seen from the Rope Walk.

Here the flood waters can be seen as being right up to the edge of the site.

The sheer volume of water going over the sluice area can be clearly seen here.

Even though the River Wye has burst its banks, and the brook is very high, works still continue at the bottom of the rising shaft at Homs Road in preparation for the arrival of the tunnelling equipment.

Here the flood waters can be seen as nearly reaching the top of the tunnel sections which shows how deep the water was at this point.

Here the CAT excavator has been loaded onto the back of a low loader down in the Broadmeadows area as it is no longer required.

The true size of the excavator can be seen in this shot when compared to the two people who are completing the loading procedure.