The tunnel from Carnwath Road in Fulham to Chambers Wharf in Bermondsey will be the largest section on the route and be built by a joint venture of Ferrovial Agroman and Laing O’Rourke.

The hub for tunnelling activity will focus around the Kirtling Street shaft in Battersea, where both the east and west tunnelling machines will be launched.

The entire 25km sewer tunnel generally follows the route of the River Thames, starting in west London and travelling to Limehouse, where it then continues north-east to Abbey Mills Pumping Station near Stratford.

There it connects to the Lee Tunnel, which will transfer the sewage to Beckton Sewage Treatment Works.

AECOM also delivered design consultancy services for the Lee Tunnel project, which is currently under construction and due to be completed in 2016.

The complex central section of the tunnel will pass through a variety of different ground conditions, including London Clay, Lambeth Group, Thanet Sands and Chalk.

It will be built under London’s existing underground infrastructure, in close proximity to tube lines and utilities.

Steve Woodrow, AECOM’s head of tunnels, Europe, said: “Tideway is one of the UK’s most important new infrastructure projects, which will dramatically improve the water quality of the River Thames and give London a wastewater system it can rely on.

“AECOM’s tunnelling team brings its recent experience delivering the Lee Tunnel to this key civil engineering project.”

Peter Main, project director for the Ferrovial Agroman, Laing O’Rourke JV, said: “The central section of Tideway is a major feat of engineering and AECOM brings valuable expertise in tunnelling design services that will enhance and strengthen our delivery team.”

AECOM is currently working with the Ferrovial Agroman, Laing O’Rourke JV to deliver the detailed designs for the central section.

Construction will start in 2016 and the project is expected to be completed in 2023.