Excavation for the North East Link has reached a significant milestone with road headers breaking through in Bulleen, Melbourne.
The breakthrough marks a key step in the construction of the 6.5-kilometre twin tunnels that will connect Watsonia and Bulleen.
The roaders are electric powered tunnelling machines that are used for finely controlled digging of a tunnel.
They can excavate up to almost 2000 tonnes of rock each day and can break through rock three times harder than concrete.
The road headers have been working since last year to excavate the section between Manningham Road and Trinity Grammar with the sequential excavation method (SEM) of tunnelling particularly suited to this section of the project.
With the five road headers currently working on the project now having broken through at both ends of this section, they will soon continue excavating the lower half of the tunnel.
Related stories:
- Double TBM breakthrough for North East Link
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- Tunnelling now underway on the North East Link
Recently the tunnel boring machines (TBMs), Gillian and Zelda, also made breakthroughs at the Lower Plenty Road interchange, and will soon continue their journey to Bulleen.
This combined approach of using both road headers and TBMs will ensure that the North East Link tunnels are completed efficiently.
As part of Victoria’s Big Build, three major road projects will be delivered, including the North East Link tunnels which will take 15,000 trucks off local roads a day and reduce travel times by up to 35 minutes.
Other works include the M80 Ring Road Completion and Eastern Freeway Upgrades which will include new lanes, smart technology and a seamless connection to the North East Link tunnels.
The program of works will open in 2028 – bringing all the pieces of North East Link together.
For more information, visit: bigbuild.vic.gov.au/
