Farrans and Joseph Gallagher Limited have completed a tunnel boring operation under the River Tees.

Marking a major milestone for the 57 kilometre Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley team, Penelope, the tunnel boring machine, broke through to the west shaft, completing its 220 metre journey under the River Tees.

The tunnelling took just under five weeks to complete, having started at the base of the 46 metre deep east shaft in April, reaching the 32 metre deep west shaft. The machine will now be lifted out, using a special crane, with the team, including Northumbrian Water, Farrans Construction and specialists Joseph Gallagher Limited, set to make a start on the next phase.


This process involves sealing work prior to the horizontal installation of twin water mains through the tunnel. Incorporating two mains improves the resilience of this £155 million investment, providing a reliable backup in case of any issues.

The pipeline will connect Lartington Water Treatment Works with around 200,000 of our customers across the south of County Durham and across into Teesside.