Scottish Water has announced the successful completion of a key part of a new trunk water main in Glasgow, beneath a motorway and railway, as part of a multi-million pound project to benefit almost one million customers.
A state-of-the-art tunnel boring machine, the hi0tech TBM, installed a 252 metre-long tunnel and section of water main from Broomloan Road in Ibrox, in the shadow of Ibrox Stadium, to the north side of Bellahouston Park.
The tunnel, which goes below the M8 motorway, Paisley Road West and the Glasgow-Ayr railway line, is part of more than seven miles of new water mains being installed in a project which will connect the Glasgow area's network and the system in Ayrshire to increase resilience and protect supplies for customers.
The TBM installed the tunnel at a depth of up to 20 metres below ground – the equivalent of the height of a seven-storey building – while thousands of road and rail users above went about their daily business undisturbed and largely unaware.
It excavated about 1,311 tonnes of rock, such as sandstone and mudstone which went to landfill, and installed a total of 100 sections of pre-cast concrete pipes each measuring 2.5 metres in length and taking the total weight of the tunnel to about 500 tonnes.
The work using the TBM in Ibrox is a key part of a project to improve Scottish Water's water mains network in the south west of Glasgow by installing new pipes which will connect the Glasgow area's network and the system in Ayrshire to improve the security of supply for customers.
Connecting the networks will provide a two-way water supply between the Milngavie Water Treatment Works (WTW) system, which provides water for more than 700,000 people across much of the Glasgow area, and the Bradan WTW system which supplies more than 200,000 customers across much of Ayrshire. It will also benefit almost 50,000 customers in East Renfrewshire.
In the event of a disruption to the water supply in either Ayrshire or Glasgow, the new system will allow millions of litres of water to be transferred in either direction, minimising the impact on customers if there is a burst main or other operational issues.
The project, which involves the use of innovative construction materials and techniques to reduce carbon emissions and power requirements, is being delivered for Scottish Water by Caledonia Water Alliance, our alliance partner, and is expected to be completed in 2024.
The new water main is being installed in the Ibrox, Mosspark, Pollok, Priesthill, Nitshill and Parkhouse areas of Glasgow and will run from Ibrox to a reservoir storage tank in the Parkhouse/Darnley area.
A new pumping station is being built at Ibrox which will push water to the existing pumping station in Parkhouse/Darnley for onward distribution to Ayrshire.
The work in the south of Glasgow is the third and final stage of the overall investment which has already delivered improvements in Ayrshire.
The design of the new network incorporates carbon reducing construction materials and methods including innovative self-restraining pipe. Solar panels will also offset the power demands at the new Ibrox pumping station, with the new mains using gravity to reduce power use by 60%.
Four tunnels – one at Ibrox under the M8 motorway and the Glasgow-Ayr railway line, another under the Paisley Canal railway and White Cart Water, another under the Glasgow-Barrhead-Kilmarnock railway and one under the Levern Water will form part of the route of the new main.
The tunnels under the Glasgow-Barrhead-Kilmarnock railway and the Levern Water have already been completed.
The start of the construction of the tunnel at Ibrox, which is the biggest of the four and was carried out for CWA by HB Tunnelling Ltd of Doncaster, England, was witnessed by three pupils from Ibrox Primary School, located near the project, who took part in a competition to give the TBM a female name, in accordance with tunnelling tradition.
Primary five Ibrox Primary School pupil Manha Raheel won the competition and the TBM was named Tytana.
The hydraulically-operated TBM worked 24-7 and completed its breakthrough when the cutting head emerged at a point in Bellahouston Park. Manually operated by a driver at the front, the TBM's rotating cutting head cut into the earth and rock and the material was transported along a conveyor belt to a skip on the TBM before being removed by crane to the surface.
A team of six people working on the tunnelling also included a supervisor and banksman.
After the tunnel was installed, 22 sections of water main made from ductile iron were placed inside it, using a crane to lower the pipe sections down and a winch to pull them through the tunnel and into position before they were grouted and sealed.
We liaised with Transport Scotland regularly during the tunnelling to ensure they were kept informed about its progress.
Dominic Flanagan, Scottish Water Delivery Manager, said: "The installation of this particular part of the new water main using the TBM is arguably the highlight of this project so far and we are delighted to have completed it.
"Everything went well with this very challenging and complex operation and we were really pleased that our guests from Ibrox Primary School FC were able to join us and see the tunnelling start."
He added: "Linking our supply systems in Glasgow and Ayrshire will ensure that high-quality drinking water can continue to be supplied to current customers and for generations to come.
"The investment in below-ground infrastructure will also support the continued development above ground in communities across these areas and will enable them to continue to grow and thrive."
Jane McKenzie, the project's Communications Manager, said: "From the very start of this project we have done everything possible to minimise any disruption for people like local schools, Rangers FC, local residents, and road users.
"We've done everything we can to keep them informed and hosting the schoolchildren on-site to see the start of this piece of tunnelling was one of our ways of thanking them for their patience and understanding and was, we hope, an interesting and enjoyable experience for them. We know that they too will be pleased to learn of the TBM breakthrough and completion of this key stage of our work."
Construction News
29/08/2023
Scottish Water Completes Major Tunnel Works In Glasgow


04/04/2025
SSE Renewables has submitted a Section 36 planning application to Scottish Government ministers to transform the iconic Sloy Power Station into a new pumped storage hydro scheme.
The proposed conversion aims to enhance energy security and balance the increasing reliance on renewable energy sources

04/04/2025
Clark Contracts, headquartered in Glasgow, has been named as one of 38 contractors appointed to a £380 million framework for the supply and installation of maintenance works for Scottish councils and housing associations over the next four years.
The framework, managed by PfH Scotland, will see Cla

04/04/2025
A new national training centre dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional skills in Scotland has secured £3.7 million in funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Scotland's Centre of Excellence for Canals & Traditional Skills will be located near Lock 16 on the banks of the Forth &

04/04/2025
The Scottish Government has announced plans to introduce a revised Heat in Buildings Bill, setting a new target for decarbonising heating systems by 2045, while continuing efforts to alleviate fuel poverty. Acting Minister for Climate Action Alasdair Allan confirmed the government's intention to pre

04/04/2025
SSEN Transmission has secured approval from the Highland Council's South Planning Committee for its Fort Augustus substation extension at Auchterawe. This decision marks a significant milestone in the Beauly-Denny 400kV uprating project, a crucial component of upgrading the electricity transmission

04/04/2025
Scotland is witnessing the decommissioning of its oldest transmission line, the 'G-Route', as SP Energy Networks (SPEN) removes 62 steel electricity towers that have served the community for nearly a century.
Built in 1929, the G-Route was originally designed to connect three coal-fired power stati

04/04/2025
Works to mitigate the impact of flooding at Ormiston Park Play Area in East Lothian have gotten underway.
The project aims to address the persistent issue of flooding that has rendered the play area unusable for children on numerous occasions.
The flooding problem is attributed to water run-off f

04/04/2025
The completion date for the Aurs Road improvement project, which aims to transform the winding single carriage road into a safer, straighter route with new active travel infrastructure, has been revised to spring 2026.
Construction on the route, which connects Barrhead and Newton Mearns, commenced

03/04/2025
The long-anticipated transformation of Glasgow's iconic George Square is poised to take a significant step forward, with preparatory works commencing in the coming weeks. From 14 April, hoardings will begin to be erected around the perimeter of the city's central civic space, marking the start of it

03/04/2025
Glasgow-based construction firm CCG has secured a place on a significant £380 million framework for planned maintenance works for Scottish councils and housing associations.
The PfH Scotland’s Planned Works Framework will run for four years and includes 38 contractors.
The framework is divided in