Tunnel boring machine Dorothy at the northern portal of Long Itchington Wood Tunnel.
HS2
TUNNEL boring machine Dorothy began its mile-long journey under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire at the beginning of December, making it the first TBM to be launched on the Midlands section of HS2.
As reported in The RM’s December issue, the 2000 tonne machine, which is 125 metres long, is named after Dorothy Hodgkin, the first British woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. It was set in motion by HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston.
The construction and assembly of the TBM involved around 170 engineers and it will be staffed around the clock by members of the tunnelling team for around five months until it completes the excavation of the first bore. After breaking through, expected in spring, Dorothy will be disassembled and taken back to the north end of the tunnel to begin the process of creating the second bore, due for completion in early 2023.