By rosebell
The second Connection Line B tunnel, which is located beneath the Canal du Midi in the south-east of Toulouse, was completed using TBM Clemence Isaure with 30m long and 5,28m in diameter at the end of August 2024, by the consortium Bessac, Soletanche Bachy, GTM Sud-Ouest TP GC. The two parallel tunnels are each 250m long and 5.29m wide and ou can watch their video below.
In order to linking the Colomiers station to Montaudran, Piste des Geants station of Line C at Toulouse, five TBMs are due to simultaneously dig the 22km of tunnels in Line C,whereas the cutting wheel of the TBMs will display the colours of the Occitan Cross: red and gold which is also the colours of the Cross of Toulouse .
While the tunnel boring machine (TBM) named Marie-Thérèse de Villeneuve-Arifat was introduced by authoritiesthe on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 during its testing phase, ahead of its official launching, now this TBM is installed at the future Raisin station and is going to excavate an almost 4 km section from Villeneuve-Arifat to the Saint-Sauveur shaft
Marie-Thérèse de Villeneuve-Arifat (1815–1907) was the daughter of Pons de Villeneuve, a member of the Academy. In 1857, she was appointed Mistress of the Games. In her acceptance speech, she paid tribute to a distant ancestor, Antoinette de Villeneuve, who had been crowned in 1496 by Clemence Isaure (the name given to the TBM for the Connection Line B).
Following its christening at the Colomiers Gare shaft on August 13, TBM Jeanne Marvig was started up on September 9, 2024 and the boring process of a 3.9 km section up to the Laporte shaft, near the future Saint-Martin du Touch station will be up to this machine. The estimated daily speed of advance for Jeanne Marvig is 12 m, passing through the Colomiers Gare, Fontaine Lumineuse, and Airbus Saint-Martin stations. The leder of consortium responsible for this project is Eiffage Génie Civil, in partnership with NGE and BTP, working for Tisséo Ingénierie and Tisséo Collectivités.
The launching site of the Marguerite de Catellan TBM, with 125 meters length and 1,500 tons weigth wasthe Montaudran Gare – Piste des Géants site, while it is slated to excavate a 4 km section through the Toulouse underground, reaching the Saint-Sauveur shaft.
Considering that the cutting wheel of the TBM Berthe du Puybusque has been lowered at the La Vache station,the machine is currently being assembled and its next mission will be digging a 2.5 km section between the La Vache and Pont Jumeaux stations. Then, in order to completing an additional 2.1 km stretch between the La Vache and Raisin stations, it will be disassembled and reassembled.
The determined location for commencing the journey of fifth and final TBM, Lise Enjalbert, is Ponts Jumeaux towards the Porte shaft.
