By rosebell
The 10m-diameter Herrenknecht TBM Virginie completed its drive at Tremblay-en-France on 6 August after 19 months underground, bringing to an end six years of TBM excavation on the 20km-long underground section of Line 17.
Virginie, a 1,600t, 100m-long machine, launched from Le Mesnil-Amelot in December 2024 and advanced at an average depth of around 30m. Its route included some of the most technically sensitive tunnelling on the Grand Paris Express, passing beneath high-speed TGV railway tracks, two runways and Terminal 2 at Charles de Gaulle Airport while the airport remained fully operational.
The final section forms part of Line 17 Lot 3, being delivered by Razel-Bec with Fayat group companies Sefi-Intrafor and Fayat Energie Services. The package includes the bored tunnel, seven ancillary structures and works associated with the Charles de Gaulle airport section.
According to Société des grands projets (SGP), tunnelling beneath the operational airport was completed without affecting airport operations.
Virginie was the fifth and final TBM used to excavate Line 17, following machines Sarah, Bantan, Dorine and Florence. The five machines have constructed around 20km of tunnel since the first Line 17 TBM launched in 2020.
Virginie had previously worked on Grand Paris Express Line 16 before being redeployed for the final Line 17 drive. Its cutterhead was lifted at Tremblay-en-France this month as dismantling of the machine began.
Completion of the bored tunnel leaves construction of the line’s remaining elevated section as one of the principal civil engineering activities required to complete the alignment. The final sections of viaduct at Tremblay-en-France are expected to be assembled by the end of this year.
Line 17 will extend 26.5km from Saint-Denis–Pleyel to Le Mesnil-Amelot, serving nine stations and providing connections to both Paris-Le Bourget and Charles de Gaulle airports.
Opening will be phased, with the section from Saint-Denis–Pleyel to Le Bourget–Aéroport scheduled for 2027, followed by an extension to Parc des Expositions in 2028. The final section through Charles de Gaulle Airport to Le Mesnil-Amelot is scheduled to open in 2030.
