Rivers Move From T5 Before The Earth Does

TPS Consult has provided design, planning and services support to the project to divert the two rivers around the perimeter of the new T5 campus.

One of the more unusual projects for the new T5 at Heathrow, but one which was crucial to the entire scheme, has been completed.

A condition of the planning consent was that the two historic rivers that ran through the middle of the proposed construction site would be diverted before new building work was started.

TPS Consult, known more for its work on the design of the aircraft pavements, taxiways and car parks at the new terminal, has provided design, planning and services support to the project to divert the two rivers around the perimeter of the new T5 campus.

Both the rivers were created hundreds of years ago.

The Duke of Northumberland's River was extended by Henry VIII in the 1540s in order to divert water from the River Colne to feed the River Crane and Syon House.

The Longford River was built in 1638 by Charles I to feed the fountains at Bushy Park and to take water to Hampton Court Palace.

The rivers are owned by the Environment Agency and the Royal Parks respectively.

The £75 million diversion project, for BAA, involved constructing new 8 metre wide channels for 3km around the perimeter.

Two-thirds were created using vertical concrete walls (75 per cent precast), with the remaining third semi-naturalised (one new river wall and one natural riverbank).

A number of in-channel enhancements were incorporated to improve the ecology of the rivers.

These included lining the channels with reclaimed timber, and the use of stone-filled gabion baskets to provide habitats for fish, plants and micro-invertebrates.

More than 8,000 square metres of pre-grown native plants have been planted including 465 semi-mature trees, 2,000 semi-mature native shrubs and 100,000 evergreen ground cover shrubs.

In total, over 30,000 fish were rescued and transferred to the channels, over 1,000 fresh water duck mussels and 40 cubic metres of riverbed gravels and silts transferred, and 84,000 aquatic plants installed on 8,000 square metres of pre-planted pallets.

The 18-month project was successfully handed over to the Twin Rivers Management Committee (TRMC), consisting of the Environment Agency, the Royal Parks, and Heathrow Airport Ltd.

TPS Consult has now also taken over responsibility for on-going maintenance of the new rivers for TRMC.

Simon Tanner, lead engineer for TPS Consult, said: "This was a particularly unusual and interesting project to be involved with.

It is not every day that a river gets diverted, let alone two.

"The care and attention to detail in the design and programming of this project was immense, and I think the result justifies the effort that all the parties have put in.

"It is also very rewarding, having designed and supervised the implementation of the project, to now be also responsible for the on-going maintenance, and to be able to see the rivers mature and evolve in their new locations.".

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