🏗 Sewers, Bridges & Giveaways

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Hello Fellow Engineers!

Welcome to Real Civil Newsletter - the only newsletter where London’s sewers get royal approval, bridges let boats drive over cars, and architects still don’t get invited.

This issue is packed tighter than a Friday rush-hour roundabout. We’ve got megaprojects hiding under the Thames, an aqueduct that flips traffic on its head, giveaways, Paddy’s latest “find,” and of course, an Indie Game of the Week.

Long-time viewers will know I have a soft spot for Mini Motorways, and thanks to the legends at Dinosaur Polo Club, we’re officially in partnership for this issue. That means traffic chaos, cursed roundabouts, and a full throwback playlist if you’re brave enough to binge it all.

Let’s dive into it 👇

This week, we’re giving away TWO copies of The Wandering Village! 🐉🏡

If you’ve ever thought, “What if my city was built on the back of a giant wandering creature?” - well, here’s your chance to find out. Design, survive, and adapt as your village roams across a living, breathing beast. No architects allowed on board (we can’t risk them suggesting a glass extension on the poor creature’s spine).

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for… 🥁

🏆 kaylacrouch 🏆
🏆 itsjony 🏆

Check your email for your game key and get ready to start building your very own nomadic city.

Want a shot at the next one? Vote in the poll in this email! 🌉🔥

👷‍♂️ Truss Me, I’m an Engineer…

London’s Secret Saviour

Forget the world’s obvious feats, today we’re shining the spotlight on a completed megaproject that blends infrastructure utility with serious engineering swagger: the Thames Tideway Tunnel, London’s new “super sewer.”

Deep beneath the River Thames runs a 25 km tunnel, about 30 to 70 meters underground, built to capture and reroute all the sewage overflow during storms. It’s not glamorous, but it’s absolute engineering muscle you can’t see, and you really need it.

The project began in 2016, faced pandemic delays, and finally started receiving sewage in September 2024. It officially went into full operation in February 2025, and even got the royal thumbs-up when King Charles III opened it in May 2025.

Why it’s such a legendary feat:

• Massive scale, tiny footprint – A deep-level tunnel, 7.2 m in diameter, stretching 25 km under one of the world’s most congested cities.

• Urban engineering masterclass – All while keeping the surface life of London uninterrupted.

• Future-ready infrastructure – It finally tackles combined sewer overflows, pollution previously dumped into the Thames now diverted to treatment plants, reducing pollution days to mere percentages.

So next time someone brings up “boring, behind-the-scenes engineering,” just remind them of the Tideway Tunnel, London’s most discreet savior.

⚡ Cool Links

🌉 Built at 2,050 feet, costing $283 million: How Chinese engineers built the world’s tallest bridge in just three years
In just three years, Chinese engineers erected a bridge soaring 2,050 ft, that’s roughly twice the height of any architect could’ve dreamt.

🕹 Hollow Knight: Silksong September launch shakes up indie game schedule
Silksong finally gets a release date, and indie devs are now delaying their games so they don’t get overshadowed.

🌁 Engineering creates 3D replicas so you can see fragile art you can’t touch
Engineers let you “touch” priceless, fragile art in 3D, without actually touching it.

👾 Modular robots that assemble into bridges, shelters, or tools, on demand
Cube‑shaped modular robots that can self‑assemble into a bridge or a tool you need.

🚦Creative Mode Has Arrived in Mini Motorways!

Calling all traffic tinkerers and gridlock gods: Creative Mode is now live in Mini Motorways - and it’s everything your civil engineering brain has been craving.

You can now design without limits, tweak cities to perfection, and build the most outrageously efficient (or outrageously cursed) road networks imaginable. No more traffic meltdowns unless you want them. And yes, it’s available in Mini Metro too - so prepare to lose your entire evening to beautifully engineered chaos.

Built by the delightful humans at Dinosaur Polo Club, this update gives players the power to plan, adjust, and experiment like never before.

This new mode brings a whole new way to play, and it’s the perfect time to jump in - whether you’re a returning fan or brand new to the city-building stress spiral.

🛣️ Play Creative Mode now

Design. Build. Panic less. Or more. Up to you.

🐕‍🦺 Paddy’s Corner

Paddy found a “ball”

Paddy found… something… in the woods. I’ll let you be the judge of what it is!

Let me know in the comments below:

👾 Indie Game of the Week:

Forget mega-dams and super-sewers, this week’s real engineering marvel is me desperately trying not to turn LA into a four-way crash festival in Mini Motorways. Creative Mode finally lets us design without limits, which means you can build the smoothest network in history… or the most cursed roundabout this side of Milton Keynes.

You already know I love playing it, and here’s my most recent Mini Motorways video, but if you enjoy it, there’s a full 19-video Mini Motorways playlist waiting for you. Go wild, binge responsibly, and maybe even beat my score (good luck).

Check out the new Creative Mode here: Play Mini Motorways

🎥 Watch here:

It’s time for a Bridge Review!

Imagine you’re cruising down the N302 in the Netherlands, windows down, tunes blasting, when suddenly, there’s a river above your head. No, you haven’t taken a wrong turn into Atlantis. You’ve just driven under the Veluwemeer Aqueduct.

This beauty flips the script: instead of cars over water, it’s water over cars. Boats float serenely above while 28,000 vehicles a day zoom underneath, no waiting for drawbridges, no awkward traffic jams while Dave the sailor decides how slowly he can possibly steer.

I even made it in Cities: Skylines!

Now, here’s the best part: it’s pure engineering brilliance. No flashy curves, no glass sails, no architect whispering “but could it spark joy?” Just reinforced concrete and waterproofing that gets the job done. The whole thing is only 25 metres long, yet it quietly solves a problem that would’ve had architects sketching suspension cables for three years straight.

It’s clever, efficient, and it doesn’t even brag about itself.

Final Score: 8.3/10.