By Ashley Karen
The two tunnel boring machines that made a record double breakthrough on the Sydney Metro West project in December are said to be relaunched in the forthcoming weeks.
TBMs Beatrice and Daphne broke through to the Five Dock Metro Station site, making Sydney Metro West the foremost project in the southern hemisphere to acquire a double TBM breakthrough. They will soon begin constructing from the Five Dock Metro Station site to the Burwood North Station site.
Hundreds of pre-cast tunnel segments have been provided to the Bays Metro Station site, ready to meet the TBMs as they advance up to 90m under Sydney’s inner west.
Over 250 precast tunnel segments will be sent from the Bays each day and through the newly constructed tunnels under Iron Cove to Five Dock, where they will encounter Daphne and Beatrice.
Beatrice and Daphne TBMs launched last year from the western side of the Bays Station, and both have installed nearly 30,700 of 150,000 segments that will line the new tunnel walls.
Work has started at the eastern end of the site to prepare the 32m-deep station box for two new tunnel boring machines that will launch from the Bays to the tunnel beneath Darling Harbour towards the city in mid-2024.
These machines, each one weighing approximately 1,300 tons, are the final two of six for Sydney Metro West.
A second shed on the western side of the Bays site is being utilized to store bored material after it is transferred from the tunnel boring machines on conveyor belts. The shed carries a maximum of 40,000 tons of material, constantly being moved for reuse on other sites across Sydney.
It is worth mentioning that the 24 km-long Sydney Metro West is envisioned to be completed by 2032.
