The first three kilometres of the Thames Tideway Tunnel are now complete.

Tideway has published its latest annual report confirming the project is on schedule to be finished by 2024 – it says four giant machines are now being used to dig the tunnels for the £3.8 billion infrastructure scheme, which aims to prevent millions of tonnes of sewage flowing into the River Thames and polluting its waters.

The report also outlines how Tideway is working to keep the environmental impact of construction to a minimum – by using the river instead of the road network to transport material to and from the site, it is taking around 200 lorry journeys off the road each day.

It estimates it has avoided more than 115,000 truck journeys in total by carrying more than one million tonnes of material on barges instead, which it has calculated produce around 90% less carbon dioxide than an equivalent truck.

Andy Mitchell, Tideway CEO, said: “By transporting at least 90% of our tunnelling material by river instead of on the road, we are reducing our carbon footprint, as well as reducing road safety risks in London – two key issues for the capital. We are confident our work will lead the way in how businesses in future consider sustainable options for transporting goods and materials.

“While our ultimate goal is to clean up the River Thames, we’re also committed to boosting the river economy, increasing jobs and improving safety standards.”

Earlier this year ELN got access to the Thames Tideway Tunnel to see how it will affect pollution levels in the river – watch the video to find out.