Sheffield Forgemasters begins tunnelling for flood alleviation scheme

Tunnelling has commenced on the Bagley Brook transfer system, a flood alleviation project at Sheffield Forgemasters. A 1,050-foot tunnel is being bored beneath Brightside Lane to connect two large storm-water shafts, both of which extend more than 35 feet underground.

Led by civil engineering specialist JBA Bentley, the project aims to mitigate flood risks caused by the Victorian-era Bagley Brook culvert. When the culvert cannot handle high volumes of storm water, it currently causes flooding in the northern part of the Brightside Lane site. The new system will intercept excess water, store it in the shafts, and use a new pumping station to discharge it into the River Don at a rate of up to 8,000 litres per second.

The scheme is a requirement for the construction of Sheffield Forgemasters’ new 13,000-tonne forging line, located near the Midland Mainline railway.