HS2 unveils 1.3km conveyor belt taking lorries off Aylesbury Vale roads

HS2 Ltd has revealed its new conveyor belt designed to clear traffic in the Aylesbury Vale area.

Its spoil conveyor is designed to take around 70,000 lorry journeys off Buckinghamshire’s roads .

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In total, the conveyor reaches 1.3km and will be placed between two construction sites on either side of the A413 and the rail line south of Wendover. It is expected to carry 550,000 cubic metres of chalk and other material over the next two years and will avoid shifting the material along the main road.

HS2 has constructed two similar conveyors for its project in West London and Warwickshire.

HS2 Ltd’s project manager, Jason Bicknell, said:“HS2 will provide zero-carbon journeys from day one. “Although this conveyor is crucial in allowing us to move large quantities of material over a ‘pinch-point’ created by rail and road, it’s also a fantastic solution to avoid carbon emissions whilst being sensitive to the surrounding area of natural beauty, taking ecology and noise into consideration and ensuring we reduce impact to local residents.

“We’re reusing chalk and other material excavated south of Wendover to use in earthworks further north and this clean, quiet conveyor will dramatically improve the efficiency of that operation – taking trucks off the road and speeding up construction of this part of the UK’s new high speed railway.”

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Mainly the conveyor will transport material – mainly chalk – excavated from cuttings to the south, to be reused in earthworks elsewhere on the route. It is made up of five sections.

HS2 states the conveyor has been built to reduce carbon emissions and the noise caused by its vehicles.

It was built by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor, EKFB - a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall.

EKFB’s Project Manager, Martin Gamble, added: “Working with our supply chain partners, Blackwell Earthmoving and Hargreaves Industrial Services, this fully enclosed, temporary conveyor will help us move a large amount of material over the A413 quickly and safely. It’s more environmentally friendly than using HGVs by road and this is reducing road disruption for our local communities.

“This conveyer is a modular design so it can be dismantled and used on other sites.”