Lovat’s EPBM despatched to Italian subcontractor Ghella is advancing well in its drive to extend the Milan metro with construction of the twin-track line M5.

The 9.4m diameter mixed face shield is driving more than 3.5km through gravel, sands and some weak silts with cover of 8m-12m. The drive, in the north of the city, is mostly above the water table.

Fitted with ripper teeth and scrapers, the cutterhead has power and maximum torque of 2,700kW and 24,940kN at 1rpm, respectively. Tunnel segmental lining is 8.15m i.d., 350mm thick with rings 1.5m long.

Lovat delivered the refurbished shield (RME370SE Series 19601) and is providing Ghella with onsite service and spare parts support. Ghella is undertaking the tunnelling works under a subcontract to the main, joint venture contractor – Italian construction groups Astaldi and Torno Internazionale.

The M5 line will run north for 5.6km from Garibaldi main rail station to Bignami with intermediate stations at Isola, Zara, Marche, Istria, Ca’Granda, Bicocca and Ponale – from where the shield has already been relaunched on its southbound run after the first intermediate breakthrough.

At Garibaldi and Zara the M5 line will interchange with lines M2 and M3. The line is to come into operation in two stages: the Zara-Bignami section by March 2011; and, the final, 1.25km long Garibaldi-Zara section by May 2012. The line is forecast to carry 29M passengers annually.

The concession for the project was awarded to a consortium of Astaldi, Ansaldo, Torno, Alstom and ATM, for 32 years, including a five years construction phase. Design and construction of the line has a budget of approximately US$740M and, as Italy’s first major urban transport with private finance it has been structured on a 60:40 debt to equity basis, the debt finance coming from the city, state and banks loans.

The new line with automatic, driverless trains is eventually to be extended to Monza, it is proposed, with four intermediate stations. There is also a proposal on the cards for a westward extension from Garibaldi to San Siro with nine intermediate stations.


Work underway Launch of the Lovat