North East Link prepares to begin major tunnelling activities

The assembly of two of the biggest tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in the southern hemisphere is in its final stages with the arrival of the final piece of the TBM – a 137-tonne screw conveyor – at the Watsonia site. 

A 550-tonne gantry crane has started lowering each piece of the TBMs into the launch box and once fully assembled, the massive machines will each weigh 4,000 tonnes and will be 90 metres long and 15.6 metres high. 

The TBMs will dig up to 15 metres each day to complete the 6.5-kilometre road tunnels that will help remove up to 15,000 trucks from local roads. 

“We’re not wasting a minute delivering this vital project that will get 15,000 trucks off local roads and slash travel times by 35 minutes. 

“Whether it’s level crossing removals, building the Metro Tunnel or North East Link – we’re delivering the transport connections a growing Victoria needs,” Premier Jacinta Allan said. 

More than 100 tunnel workers are now undergoing intensive training to work up to 45 metres below the ground while a hyperbaric facility is being installed on site to help workers prepare to work under a compressed air environment. 

Moreover, a large amount of works are also being carried out across Melbourne’s north-east to prepare for major tunnelling. These works include the establishment of a covered conveyor belt and shed that will safely load dirt and rock onto trucks, building more than a quarter of the concrete tunnel segments in Benalla, and the construction of the TBM retrieval box in Bulleen. 

“Once launched, these TBMs will dig up to 15 metres per day from Watsonia to Bulleen, building the tunnels that will see traffic passing under instead of through local suburbs,” VIC Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson said. 

“The North East Link will provide Melbourne with a complete orbital road connection for the first time, improving access and reducing travel times for both freight and commuter traffic,” Federal Member for Jagajaga Kate Thwaites said. 

“We’re getting on with delivering this transformative project that will not only cut travel times but take 15,000 trucks off our local roads,” VIC Member for Bundoora Colin Brooks said. 

Worksites are also being set up along the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road, which will require large areas of open space to upgrade the freeways to connect with the North East Link tunnels. 

Speed restrictions and barriers have been rolled out along the Eastern Freeway between Burke and Bulleen roads, and these are expected to be extended to Tram Road in the coming months. 

“From the ports in Melbourne to the suburbs in the north east, the final pieces of these massive machines are on site and ready for assembly ahead of tunnelling this year. 

“Not only is this incredible infrastructure project employing tousands during construction, it will leave a lasting legacy for road users and for Victoria well into the future,” Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said. 

The North East Link tunnels project will deliver: 

• Longer 6.5-kilometre tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen 
• Simpler interchanges at Lower Plenty Road, Manningham Road and Eastern Freeway 
• Five MCGs of parklands along Banyule Creek at Borlase Reserve 
• A new two-kilometre tree-lined boulevard for Greenborough Road 
• A two-hectare Yarra Link green bridge over Bulleen Road 
• Three new wetlands along the Yarra River and Koonung Creek in Bulleen and Balwyn North 

The North East Link Program is the biggest investment in Melbourne’s north east to date and it will change the way people move around the region. It brings together three major road project together – the North East Link tunnels, M80 Ring Road Completion and Eastern Freeway Upgrades. 

The Spark consortium was awarded the contract to build the North East Link tunnels. The consortium is comprised of WeBuild, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering and Construction, China Construction Oceania, Ventia, Capella Capital, John Laing, DIF and Pacific Partnerships. 

More than 5,000 workers are already working across the North East Link, the Eastern Freeway Upgrade and M80 Ring Road Completion. The three projects are expected to create 12,000 jobs during the construction phase. 

Source: Premier of Victoria – Media Centre; Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; Victoria’s Big Build – North East Link (1, 2, 3)