Our Work
Riverlinx is designing, building, and will maintain the Silvertown Tunnel
Riverlinx teams operate across two principal sites in Newham and on the Greenwich Peninsula. Our teams work as one, collaborating with our client, TfL, and our supply chain partners, and focus on delivering this vital infrastructure for London safely, on time, on budget.
The Silvertown Tunnel Project is a 1.4km twin bore road tunnel, built under the River Thames. Riverlinx started construction of TfL’s Silvertown Tunnel in 2020 and will complete work by Spring 2025.
Riverlinx is using the river to transport materials, and all vehicles and equipment meet the latest emission and safety standards.
For more information about the Silvertown Tunnel, and the progress of our work, explore our Virtual Exhibition
Tunnel boring machine
The total length of the tunnels will be built by one tunnel boring machine (TBM) which launched in Silvertown in 2022 and completed the first tunnel in February 2023. It will then turn around in Greenwich to complete the second. We will also use a tunnelling methodology called cut and cover for the entrances on either side.
The TBM measures approximately 82 metres in length, weighs 1,800 tons and has a cutter face of almost 12 metres in diameter.
It won’t have an easy job as the geology of this part of London is stiff clay layers and boulders. It will excavate nearly 0.6 million tonnes of material to form the tunnel. This material will be extracted by barges along the river to keep construction traffic to a minimum during the project.
Construction work has now begun and sites are well established on both sides of the river in preparation for the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).
Urban regeneration
The Silvertown Tunnel has a dedicated lane for buses, coaches, and heavy goods vehicles; 600m of access ramps; portal buildings above the entrances of the tunnels on either side of the River Thames; community gardens, landscaping, and sections of road above the ground including a road bridge for vehicles, and a footbridge for cyclists and pedestrians.
Our plans will improve walking, cycling and the surrounding urban environment for people to enjoy, as part of the major regeneration of both sides of the river.
World Environment Day
World Environment Day (WED) 2022 is the biggest international day of environmental awareness and action that has been taking place annually on 5th June, since 1974. WED focus for 2022 is on living sustainably and in harmony with nature, under the slogan ‘Only One Earth’.
To support WED events, Riverlinx has teamed up with two of its main suppliers to showcase new environmental initiatives as construction moves towards a sustainable future. Silvertown Tunnel site teams will create on site bug hotels and green finger days to plant bee and butterfly friendly plants at the main compounds. Speedy and GAP have kindly donated the peat free soil, plants and water butts so we can look after our new green areas on site.
Check out more information below and enjoy a bit of fun with our Activity Pack!
Connecting people, supporting businesses
Built along the line of the Emirates Air Line cable car, the Silvertown Tunnel will improve bus links across the River Thames and introduce new zero-emission buses.
It will be easier for businesses to move goods and support services around the capital, and for people to travel around and through the local area. Connecting the neighbourhoods of Silvertown and Greenwich for the first time will give people in the local area more and better opportunities for new jobs and places to work.
Riverlinx is also providing local employment, engineering, construction and business apprenticeships, and STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) opportunities for school and college students.
Learn more: Jobs & Skills
