Argentinian President Mauricio Macri has inaugurated the start of preparatory works for the excavation of a 12km long, 4m diameter hydraulic tunnel in Buenos Aires. The project, being constructed by Salini Impregilo, is part of his government’s biggest public works project valued at $1.2bn to clean up the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin, one of the most polluted in the world.
“This is a historic day,” said Macri as he presided over the lowering of the TBM cutter head down the shaft where the machine will begin drilling. “It fills me with hope …It is one of the most important projects being financed by the World Bank in the world.”
The $450M tunnel will flush the wastewater to be treated at one of two plants to be built near the River Plate. At 12km long, the tunnel will be one of the longest of its kind in the world, excavated 40m below the riverbed.
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Work is expected to be finished by 2021.
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