The weekend witnessed a big moment on Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel Project, as TBM Bella broke through in South Kingsville – completing a 4-kilometre journey from the west side of the Maribyrnong River under Yarraville to just east of Millers Road near the West Gate Freeway.
This is the second of the project’s two TBMs to complete its journey, after TBM Vida broke through and completed her 2.8km trip in February this year.
See the video here.
The West Gate Tunnel project is being delivered through a partnership between Transurban and the Victorian Government’s Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA), with construction work being undertaken in a joint venture between CIMIC Group’s CPB Contractors and John Holland.
TBM Bella has operated 24/7 over the past 15 months, excavating enough soil to fill the MCG while installing more than 15,000 individual concrete segments to create the tunnel walls.
With digging for the project’s twin tunnels now completed, work is proceeding on building the road deck and installing electrical, lighting and safety systems. Above ground, work is also underway to construct the ventilation system at the outbound portal and prepare for the installation of the iconic eel net structure,
Once completed, the West Gate Tunnel will provide a second river crossing and an alternative to the West Gate Bridge. This will help to reduce journey times between Melbourne’s west and the city by up to 20 minutes.