By Lynda Myer
While the first TBM (Elsie) was launched in October 2022, the Metro Vancouver’s Broadway Subway Project has started up its second of TBMs by the name of Phyllis.
Commencing their journey from the Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station, these two Herrenknecht TBMs are 6m diameter and they are due to dig 5km to reach their destination at Cypress Street, near the future Arbutus Station. Currently Elsie is close to its first breakthrough at Mount Pleasant Station.
The expected required time duration for each TBM in order to carving out the tunnels is around one year, whereas they will then be dismantled and removed at Cypress Street near Arbutus Station.
The contract for design and construction of this project has been awarded to Broadway Subway Project Corporation, an Acciona-Ghella joint venture.
Due to the five-week strike in the summer, which affected concrete supply and caused a delay in the start of tunneling process, the overall schedule for project completion has been postponed from late 2025 to early 2026.
An update on the project timeline will be provided in spring next year when station excavation and tunnel boring are further advanced.
Providing an expansion with 5.7km length and six new stations to the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark Station to Broadway and Arbutus, the Broadway Subway is slated to present a SkyTrain service along the Broadway corridor.
