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Projects
The Channel Tunnel runs some 32 miles (51 kilometers) from a terminal near Folkestone on the English side to Calais in France. And, considering that the tunnel actually comprises three tunnels (one for travel in each direction with a service tunnel in between), crews undertook a lot more than 32 miles (51 kilometers) of tunneling – closer to a hundred (around 155 kilometers).
The privately financed project, which ultimately cost $14.7 billion, has made possible 500 undersea train trips a day at speeds reaching nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour.
The project to build the undersea leg between England and France began in earnest in 1986. But as work progressed, the owner, Eurotunnel, and the Anglo-French consortium responsible for design and construction, TransManche Link, were plagued by severe cost, schedule, and safety problems. By 1990, many feared that the project would never be completed.
Bechtel’s involvement began in 1987, a year after the project got the green light, by filling a key management role with a lone seconded executive. When it became clear that the project was at risk, Eurotunnel called on Bechtel to get the project back on track. Bechtel helped manage the project to its successful completion in 1994, providing management, technical, and construction expertise, which helped restore the trust of investors and financial institutions.
For travelers and the haulage industry, the Channel Tunnel has been a boon, dramatically shortening travel time between London and Paris. The trip got even faster in 2007, when service began on High Speed 1, a high-speed rail line connecting the tunnel to central London―also a Bechtel project. In 2013, a record 20.4 million passengers rode the rails between Britain and France. Passengers and freight can travel beyond France, all the way to Brussels.
The Channel Tunnel comprises two rail tunnels and one service tunnel, each 32 miles (51 kilometers) in length.
The undersea portion is nearly 24 miles (38 kilometers) long.
The project team used 11 giant, laser-guided tunnel-boring machines.
The first proposal to build a tunnel linking England and France dates to 1802.
The Chunnel connects Folkestone in Kent, England, with Coquelles in Pas-de-Calais, France.
In addition to powerful and flexible ventilation and communications systems, there are:
