£2bn High Peak tunnel proposed
A 14-mile tunnel under the Peak District could take up to 20,000 vehicles per year off the road in the national park, according to a group of infrastructure experts backing the scheme.
Newly created Future Works Infrastructure has said it could deliver a dual-carriageway beneath the Peak District to connect Manchester with Sheffield for a fraction of what government had priced a similar scheme.
The East Midlands combined authority says it’s watching developments “with interest” in the context of wider proposals to improve transport links in the region.
Government had begun exploring building a tunnel between the two cities in 2015.
A 2020 report from Highways England, now National Highways, priced a 25-mile tunnel at up to £12bn. Highways England’s research found that a shorter tunnel would cost £10.6bn, according to Future Works. The tunnel project was abandoned the year after.
But Future Works is ready to resurrect it, saying that it is possible to deliver this connection while also restoring more of the national park’s moorland and bringing back the Woodhead rail line – all for £2bn.
Future Works is founded by Michael Dnes, the former head of road investment strategy at the Department for Transport, and Alex Griffiths, head of project management for Heathrow Airport’s expansion.
Together, they believe that the key to delivering the carriageway tunnel lies in construction methods. The government model priced the scheme using traditional boring machines and adding concrete lining.
Future Works is pricing it using a drill and blast method that is currently deployed in Norway and utilising the existing strength of the rock.
The geology of the Pennines is similar to the rock found in Norway, which implies that this method would work in the UK just as well. Drill and blast led Norway to deliver the 15-mile Laerdal for £130m, Future Works pointed out.
The £2bn project could also be delivered without Westminster funding, Future Works has said. The tunnel could pay for itself through tolls, making it an investment prospect for local authorities, pension funds, or other private investors.
Future Works is turning this project from an idea into a shovel-ready scheme, with aims to assemble investors and take it through the planning process. If deadlines are all met, this could mean work starting on the project before the end of the decade, the company said.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority says it welcomes discussion about approaches which could help speed up delivery for transport projects as part of wider plans to improve transport connections in the region.
“Crossing the Peak District is one example, but there are many others, including the A38 improvements in Derby and the A46 at Newark, which are much closer to delivery and remain important priorities,” said a spokesperson.
Future Works is soliciting feedback on its proposals. You can have your say by going to transpennineconnect.com.
Clyde & Co is providing legal advice on the project.
