Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation has awarded the Kier/Kaden/OSSA JV Contract 824 on its 26km long, US$8.3bn Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. The US$193M Contract 824 involves the drill and blast of the approximate 3km of tunnel between Ngau Tam Mei and Tai Kong Po.
This month will also see the final major tunnelling contract awarded on the project, Contract 823B for the Shek Kong Stabling Siding. Currently the running order of contracts awarded on the XRL Tunnel is:
Contract 811A: The West Kowloon Terminus Approach Tunnels North to the Bachy/Laing O’Rourke JV
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Contract 820: The 3km long TBM driven Mei Lai Road to Hoi Ting Road Tunnels to the Dragages/Bouygues JV
Contract 821: The 3km of drill and blast from Lai Chi Kok to Shek Yam to the Dragages/Bouygues JV
Contract 822: The 7.6km long twin-tube drill and blast tunnels between Tse Uk Tsuen and Shek Yam to Leighton Asia
Contract 823A: The 2 x 1.2km and 2 x 800m long mixed face TBM driven Kam Tin Tunnels to the Maeda/China State JV
Contract 825: The 2.19km long TBM twin tunnel section between Mai Po and Ngau Tam Mei to Penta-Ocean Construction
Contract 826: The 3.2km long dual TBM Huanggang to Mai Po tunnels to the CRCC/Hsin Chong/CRCC 15th Bureau JV
The entire XRL project involves 14.2km of drill-and-blast excavation, 8.5km of mixed-ground TBM tunnelling, and 2km of open-cut excavation. Upwards of eight large three boom jumbos will be used on the drill and blast drives, whilst six EPBMs or slurry TBMs will be required for the mixed ground sections, with machine choice down to the contractor.
The TBM sections will have twin bores of an external diameter of 9.2m each with an i.d. of 8.5m lined with the reinforced concrete segments.
When completed in 2015 the XRL will allow commuters from Hong Kong to reach Shanghai in eight hours and Beijing in 10hrs, halving the present 20hr journey.
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