London’s £5 billion super sewer finally completed after eight years

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Construction of London’s £5 billion super sewer has finally been completed after eight years of work. open image in gallery Using a purpose-built gantry crane the giant 24m wide circular concrete lid was lifted into place over the course of around 5 hours on Wednesday morning It has taken 20,000 people eight years to build, costing £5 billion, and is one of the largest engineering projects the capital has seen in recent years. Using a purpose-built gantry crane the giant 24m wide circular concrete lid was lifted into place over the course of around 5 hours on Wednesday morning. “There is still work to do – we need to finish some above-ground structures and, crucially, test the system – but this nonetheless marks an absolutely critical milestone for the Tideway project and for London.” open image in gallery Using a purpose-built gantry crane the giant 24m wide circular concrete lid was lifted into place over the course of around 5 hours on Wednesday morning Following the successful delivery of this final milestone, Tideway will begin the process of ‘commissioning’ the system – ensuring the new infrastructure functions as designed – before looking ahead to bringing it into full operation in 2025.