The segment production factory for Sydney’s Western Harbour Tunnel was officially opened yesterday.
The new, purpose-built facility at Emu Plains will precast more than 13,000 concrete segments and nearly 1,400 culverts which will be put in place by two TBMs as they excavate under Sydney Harbour.
The factory is expected to operate for up to three years for the project and has the potential to be used by other projects or businesses in future, providing a legacy of the tunnel project. The facility will create around 700 manufacturing jobs in western Sydney, with a target of 50% of those jobs to be filled by women.
The TBMs are expected to arrive in Sydney later this year. They will tunnel 1.5km from Birchgrove to Waverton, under the Sydney Harbour seabed, connecting the northern and southern ends of the project.
The first TBM passed its Factory Acceptance Test in April this year.
The New South Wales government is investing A$4.2bn (€2.36bn) over four years to deliver Sydney’s first road crossing of the harbour in almost 30 years. The crossing is due to open to traffic in 2028. Acciona was awarded the design and build contract for the tunnel in December 2022.
The 6.5km tunnel will connect the Warringah Freeway in north Sydney to the WestConnex M4 and M8 at Rozelle Interchange, helping drivers bypass the CBD and making it easier, faster and safer to get around Sydney.
Roads and regional transport minister Jenny Aitchison welcomed the factory’s role in increasing the number of women in construction.
“We are proud of the work to encourage more women into construction through this new facility. The Western Harbour Tunnel is one of 23 government pilot projects trialling increased targets for women in trade and introducing a new target of 7% for non-traditional roles,” she said.
