Important Dates in the Tunnels Construction
Start |
From |
Towards |
Tunnel |
Distance |
Completion |
1.12.87 |
Shakespeare Cliffe |
France |
Service |
22.29km |
3.11.90 |
28.2.88 |
Puits de Sangette |
England |
Service |
15.61km |
31.10.90 |
28.6.88 |
Puits de Sangette |
Coquelles |
Service |
3.26km |
27.4.89 |
30.9.88 |
Shakespeare Cliffe |
Folkestone |
Service |
8.15km |
9.11.89 |
1.12.88 |
Puits de Sangette |
England |
Northern Rail |
20.01km |
22.5.91 |
16.1.89 |
Puits de Sangette |
Coquelles |
Northern Rail |
3.25km |
18.12.89 |
27.2.89 |
Shakespeare Cliffe |
France |
Northern Rail |
17.91km |
23.4.91 |
26.3.89 |
Puits de Sangette |
England |
Southern Rail |
18.86km |
28.6.91 |
12.6.89 |
Shakespeare Cliffe |
France |
Southern Rail |
19.03km |
28.5.91 |
2.8.89 |
Shakespeare Cliffe |
Folkestone |
Northern Rail |
8.14km |
11.9.90 |
27.11.89 |
Shakespeare Cliffe |
Folkestone |
Southern Rail |
8.15km |
20.11.90 |
23.2.90 |
Coquelles |
Puits de Sangette |
Northern Rail |
3.26km |
29.11.90 |
Breakthrough!
During the 3½ years of tunnelling stage of the project there were
many triumphant moments to celebrate. On 1st December 1990, the
English and French engineers met deep underneath the English Channel
to mark the completion of the service tunnel. They met again on 22nd
May 1991 as the northern rail tunnel was completed.
Finally, the last of the 'breakthroughs' were achieved on 28th June
1991 in front of the worlds media. Over 150km of tunnelling was now
successfully complete.
Now that the tunnels had been constructed it took the next 3 years
to add all of the features that would be needed to make the tunnel
fully operational. This included track laying, electrical systems,
safety and security systems, air ventilation systems, drainage and
the installation of fire fighting equipment.
Whilst all of this work was taking place deep underground, something
just as important was taking shape on the outside: the construction
of the terminals.
The Terminals - Folkestone (England)
Work on the English terminal at Folkestone started back in 1988. A
large land-fill operation was required in order for terminal to be
constructed. On leaving the terminal, the track travels 8km south to
the English tunnel portal at Cheriton in Kent. The terminal site was
completed in early 1993 and includes passenger and freight handling
facilities, British and French frontier controls, staff headquarters
and a control tower.
The
Terminals - Coquelles (France)
As large as an airport, the French terminal site at Coquelles cover
an area of 480 hectares. The site contains over 53km of track and
over 36km of roads. The French terminal includes an additional
control tower, frontier controls, a separate freight terminal and
the head office of Eurotunnel.
On the leaving the terminal site, the track travels a short distance
north to the French tunnel portal at Beussingue in northern France.
One of the striking features of the French terminal is a viaduct
which crosses several lakeland areas, this provides a panoramic view
for visiting passengers.
By
March 1987 construction work was in full swing. Vertical access shafts
were drilled at Shakespeare Cliffe near Dover and at Puits de Sangette
in France. The shafts, 70 metres deep and 55 metres wide were used as
starting points for the tunnel boring machines (TBM's). The project was
to provide two rail tunnels and a service tunnel. At the bottom of the
shaft (right) you can see the early stages of the tunnels construction.
In
total, 11 TBM's (pictured left) were used in the building of the tunnel;
6 tunnelled under sea and 5 under land. Each machine was approximately
8.5 metres in diameter and 230 metres in length. The TBM's were designed
to tunnel at about 75 meters per day. On 1st Dec 1987 the first TBM
began tunnelling from the access shaft at Shakespeare Cliffe under the
sea towards France. Once the access shafts were complete and the TBM's
were in place, two clear objectives emerged; inland tunnelling towards
the terminals at Folkestone and Coquelles and seaward tunnelling towards
the English Channel.