By Rose Bell
Following that the third TBM made its final breakthrough in previous week, tunneling for the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport project is close to completion.
Achieving the project’s penultimate tunneling breakthrough at the newly named Bradfield Railway Station site, on June 7 TBM Peggy reached to this station which was previously known as Aerotropolis Station.
After that on May 29 TBM Eileen arrived at Bradfield, TBM Peggy breaks through and completes major tunneling work to construct the 5.5km tunnels from Airport Business Park, underneath the new Western Sydney International Airport, to Bradfield.
Additionally, the drive of TBM Catherine at the opposite end of the alignment completed on May 20, whereas the TBM has built a 4.3km tunnel from Orchard Hills, under the M4 Motorway and the Great Western Highway, to St Marys.
Also excavation of the final 230m for the project is up to the last machine in the ground which is TBM Marlene and it is expected to break through at St Marys in the coming weeks.
Considering that CPB Contractors and Ghella Joint Venture have dug for 13 months, the TBMs have excavated 1.8 million tonnes of material and installed 68,360 concrete segments.
Currently, the next concentration of this project will be delivery of six new metro stations at St Marys, Orchard Hills, Luddenham, Airport Business Park, Airport Terminal and Bradfield.
With first large concrete pour taking place on May 22 to build a 13m x 22m slab that is going to form part of the base to support the multi-level station above, the major station construction is already under way at St Marys.
In order to starting in the coming months, Orchard Hills, Luddenham and Bradfield Railway Station sites are also being prepared for major station construction.
Involving completing the construction of 39 cross-passages s well as a preparation for track laying, work inside the tunnels will continue.
The scheduled date for inauguration of the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport is late 2026 with the start of operations at the new Western Sydney International Airport.
According to Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese: “The tunneling milestone was a tribute to the great work of the more than 10,000 people working on this project. This project demonstrates how government leadership and co-investment with industry can deliver world class infrastructure assets resulting in significant value for future generations.”
