A 14-mile dual-carriageway tunnel connecting the cities of Manchester and Sheffield has been proposed using an explosive technique that could slash the cost of construction.
The Trans-Pennine Connect would cut journey times between the two cities by up to 30 minutes while potentially restoring some areas of the Peak District that are blighted by the need for major A roads running through them.
Westminster has previously considered the case for the tunnel, but its own study estimated that it could cost between £7.8bn and £11.6bn which was deemed too expensive to build. Instead, the newly created Future Works start-up believes it could be built for under £2bn using a tunnelling method popularised in Scandinavia known as drill and blast.
UK tunnels typically use large boring machines and heavy concrete linings whereas drill and blast needs far less equipment and makes better use of the natural strength of the rock.
The technique sees engineers drill a precise pattern of holes into the rock...