The first North East Link TBM is now closer to tunneling
As the $11.1 billion North East Link TBM project in Melbourne prepares to dig the 6.5 km long twin road tunnels, sections of the first of the project’s two Herrenknecht 15.6m diameter TBMs have been lowered into the earth.
The assembly of the North East Link TBM is happening at Watsonia’s TBM launch box, where two of the biggest TBMs in the southern hemisphere will begin tunnel excavation in the middle of 2024. Beginning in the middle of 2024, the TBMs will go southward from Watsonia in the direction of Bulleen, where they will install tunnel lining composed of about 44,000 locally produced concrete segments.
An enormous amount of work is being done to get ready for tunneling throughout the northeast. The 200-meter TBM launch box in Watsonia is finished, and excavation has begun on the subterranean box structures that the TBMs will descend into as they travel south. These structures are located close to Lower Plenty and Manningham roads.
The Spark Consortium, which was given the go-ahead to construct the TBM by the end of 2021, will operate the machinery. WeBuild, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering and Construction, China Construction Oceania, Ventia, John Laing, DIF, Capella Capital, and Pacific Partnerships are the members of the consortium.
With a strong focus on sustainability, the North East Link TBM is the largest private-public partnership (PPP) infrastructure project in Australia. It will serve as a vital connection in the city’s highway network, easing traffic and shortening commute times for tens of thousands of drivers. Every day, 15,000 trucks will be removed off local roads, saving commuters up to 35 minutes of time on their trips.