Tunnel Analysis
MSDC have produced the following diagram to illustrate how the tunnel will fit into the landscape.

The original of this diagram is on the MSDC website.
This diagram is misleading. At it's narrowest point, the section either side of the Garden Wood Road bridge, Worth Way is only 26 metres wide. In fact this 26 metres at one point includes a parallel footpath that connects Dickens Way to Gardenwood Road. The structure of the tunnel is 18.7 metres wide. If the surface of Worth Way were to be reinstated to it's current level, a hole 10 metres deep would have to be created. Even if the hole went from property line to property line, there would only be slightly over 3 metres from the outside of the tunnel to the property line. An MSDC document states that 4 metres clearance either side of a road on the surface is required for construction purposes. This gap cannot be any less for the construction of a more complex structure. Clearly the tunnel cannot be built without intruding onto existing gardens.

However we believe the final surface will be much higher than the current surface. In this case, the gentle slopes running off the top of the tunnel embankment would be impossible to create. The slopes in the diagram are actually where gardens and in some cases houses exist. There is hardly even room for a drainage channel either side of the tunnel structure.


In either of these options there would be no room for trees. The mature trees which currently exist will be destroyed by the construction effort. There is neither the room or depth of soil for trees to be replanted. Worth Way would be reinstated as a bare path along an embankment, rather than the avenue that currently exists. The woodland corridor that does so much to enhance the area would be gone for ever.

To give some idea of the scale of the tunnel, here is a picture of Worth Way passing under Garden Wood Road. The span of the bridge is 13 metres, but the width of the tunnel structure is 18.7 metres. The bridge would have to be demolished and rebuilt to allow the tunnel to pass underneath. This cutting would be filled in as the reinstated level of the Worth Way would be at the same level as Garden Wood Road.

The image below is of an existing cut-and-cover tunnel. The entrances to the Worth Way tunnel, which would be adjacent to homes, would look like this.

The materials that MSDC have put into the public domain are misleading as to the feasibility of this tunnel. We feel it is irresponsible to promote this road option when clearly it cannot actually be built as presented.