Thames Tideway Tunnel: King Edward Memorial Park Foreshore: Collaborative Major Change
This case study examines the delivery of the King Edward Memorial Park Foreshore site, one of the largest CSO interception sites in the Thames Tideway Tunnel programme. It highlights the site’s technical complexity, including the construction of a 60 m deep shaft, extensive hydraulic infrastructure, and a new public realm built on reclaimed foreshore. The project faced significant unforeseen ground conditions requiring a large-scale ground improvement scheme, redesign of the cofferdam, and the realignment of the main tunnel.
Innovative techniques such as deep soil mixing (DSM), diaphragm wall construction, and live discharge working protocols were used to maintain programme progress. The team ultimately shifted from an on-line to an off-line shaft design to mitigate delays, requiring a new connection tunnel and amendments to planning consents. The collaborative response across contractors, designers, and client teams under NEC3 principles was central to the successful outcome.
In addition to improving water quality by preventing nearly 782,000 m³ of untreated sewage from entering the Thames annually, the project also delivered community benefits, including park enhancements and a new slipway. The paper underlines the importance of flexibility, early ground investigation, and proactive design adaptation in major infrastructure delivery.
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This paper appeared in the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Civil Engineering, the flagship journal of the Institution of Civil Engineers, published by Emerald Publishing Limited.
Image credit: Tideway