The two TBMs building the Australian state of Victoria’s longest road tunnels have been relaunched on the North East Link project.
TBM Gillian and TBM Zelda – 15.6m diameter Herrenknecht machines – both broke through at Lower Plenty Road earlier this year. They have now been serviced, moved through the 30m-deep box, and relaunched to continue digging the remaining stretch of the 6.5km tunnels to Bulleen.
The TBMs are operated by Spark consortium comprising Webuild, GS Engineering and Construction, CPB Contractors, China Construction Oceania, Ventia, Capella Capital, John Laing Investments, DIF and Pacific Partnerships.
Construction will continue at the Lower Plenty Road site as crews build the entry and exit ramps which will provide access to the tunnels, before building the new Borlase Reserve parklands that will return green space to the community.
Meanwhile, the teams are working at Bulleen on completing works to realign Bulleen Road onto its permanent alignment, expected to be complete later this year. Major upgrades along the Eastern Freeway and the M80 Ring Road are continuing, with the foundation structures being built to connect the freeways to the tunnels.
North East Link will be completed in 2028. It is Victoria’s largest road project, and the biggest investment in Melbourne’s north-east. As well as the tunnels, it includes the Hurstbridge Line Duplication, Fitzsimons Lane Upgrade and removing 21 level crossings.
