By Lynda Myer
The process of disassembling two TBMs, that constructed Melbourne’s twin West Gate Tunnels, have been done and all of the underground roadway installed.
In order to completing the job, over than 250 people was working underground 24/7 and almost 7km of road deck has been installed across both tunnels.
Benefiting two Herrenknecht EPBMs, CPB Contractors and John Holland JV completed tunneling in May.
The final pieces of TBM Bella’s 15.6m-wide cutterhead was lifted by a 400-tonne crane to the outbound tunnel exit, whereas TBM Vida has been dismantled at the inbound entry near Williamstown Road in the West Gate Freeway.
In a nine days’ period the operation of dismantling the gantry crane used to remove TBM Vida has been completed.
While at ground level work is advancing on the ventilation systems at the westbound portal and the installation of the timber net structures, crews now are going to continue to fit out the tunnels, installing hundreds of kilometers of electrical and safety systems.
Comprising of 15.6m diameter, 90m length and weighing 4,000 tons, Bella and Vida were the largest TBMs in the Southern Hemisphere.
As the first Australian tunnel to be built with an elevated road surface, West Gate provides another tunnel underneath for maintenance of critical services, ventilation and emergency access.
While the scheduled date for inauguration of this projects is late 2025, it is designed to reduce congestion on the West Gate Freeway and West Gate Bridge, and reduce the number of trucks on residential streets.
