Tunnelling has begun on Melbourne’s North East Link, with the first TBM now digging the 6.5km road tunnels between Watsonia and Bulleen. It’s the first of two Herrenknecht machines, that at 90m long, 15.6m diameter, and 4000 tonnes are among the biggest in the southern hemisphere.
In keeping with tradition, TBMs are named before they start work, and the North East Link TBMs have been named Zelda and Gillian after 2 groundbreaking local women.
TBM Zelda and TBM Gillian will dig approximately 10m per day and up to 45m underground. The tunnels will be built using 100% renewable electricity, and dirt and rock from the tunnels will be re-used across North East Link and other transport sites where possible with a significant amount of spoil also helping rehabilitate a former quarry at Point Wilson and the former Orica site in Deer Park.
As they excavate the tunnels, the TBMs will install tunnel lining made of approximately 44,000 concrete segments that have been made locally in Benalla.
The machines will be driven by the Spark Consortium, which was awarded the contract to deliver the North East Link Tunnels towards the end of 2021. The consortium comprises WeBuild, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering and Construction, China Construction Oceania, Ventia, Capella Capital, John Laing, DIF and Pacific Partnerships.
The $11.1bn North East Link’s twin 3-lane road tunnels will connect the M80 Ring Road to the Eastern Freeway. At 6.5km long – twice the length of the Burnley tunnel – they’re set to be the longest road tunnels in Victoria.
North East Link is the biggest ever investment in Melbourne’s north east – changing the way people move around Melbourne.
Tunnelling will continue into 2026, with the tunnels opening to traffic in 2028.
Herrenknecht
Pioneering Underground Technologies - Herrenknecht AG is the technology and market leader in mechanized tunnelling. As the only company worldwide, Herrenknecht delivers cutting-edge tunnel boring machines for all ground conditions and in all diameters - ranging from 0.10 to 19 meters.
More Information | info@herrenknecht.com | +49 7824 3020
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