Work on North East Link is powering ahead with tunnelling now underway after launching both Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) in Watsonia.

With the acoustic shed at Winsor Reserve and all the other temporary tunnelling infrastructure now complete and both TBMs launched, we are getting on with the job of building the 6.5km twin tunnels to Bulleen.

We will now be working for more hours of the day and night, and working continuously in some locations to keep these critical tunnelling activities progressing.

What we’ve completed so far

With both TBMs launched in Watsonia, we are now getting on with continuous work at the Lower Plenty Road interchange and construction of the ventilation building in Yallambie.

The first batch of our concrete segments for the tunnel walls have arrived with 44,000 to be supplied from LS Precast in Benalla throughout the tunnelling process. Each segment weighs over 14 tonnes.

The enclosed conveyor belt is now finished and operating, taking the dirt and rock from the tunnels over Greensborough Road and into the acoustic shed at Winsor Reserve. It is then loaded into trucks and moved off site to our EPA approved facilities.

Crews have also installed a massive mural on the west and north walls of the acoustic shed. The artwork was created by local artist, Tai Snaith, and was chosen by the nearby community.

Tai created a continuous, natural landscape that depicts a visual story from morning to night, which features local animals that come out at these different times.

Construction on the northern ventilation building has started with work on the foundations underway.

The ventilation tunnel that will connect this building to the main tunnel entrance is over half way completed.

Work to build the Lower Plenty Road interchange has been progressing well with excavation of the main box ramping up while the team continue building foundations deep underground. These works will allow us to build the ramps that will take road users in and out of the tunnels.

Upcoming works

With tunnelling now underway, our focus shifts to upgrading local roads and park lands, as well as cycling and walking paths.

We’ve already started widening Lower Plenty Road at Greensborough Road with more stages to come, including the installation of the Iuk (eel) pedestrian and cycle bridge which will connect the Rivergum Walk Trail to the upgraded Borlase Reserve.

We've also started site investigations around the Silk Street pedestrian bridge as we prepare to upgrade it before the project is complete.

The pedestrian bridge will be upgraded with improved functionality and height, giving the bridge a modern look that will enable large vehicles to travel under it along Lower Plenty Road.

We’ll also begin building the new tree-lined Greensborough Road boulevard, which will include creating a service road along sections of the boulevard to allow locals safer access to and from their homes.

Work will continue at our Lower Plenty Road interchange site to build the new tunnel entry and exit ramps and prepare for the TBMs to travel through the area next year.

Managing construction

We're working closely with the local community to manage the impact of works. All works are carefully planned and managed to make sure residents can continue to enjoy where they live and local businesses can continue to operate.

How we manage impacts

Light

When we work at night, we use lights to provide safe working conditions. We limit the light impacts on residential areas by facing lights towards work areas and away from homes as much as possible.

We also use shields to minimise light spill into surrounding areas.

Dust

We try to avoid creating dust during construction. Where it can't be avoided, we will limit its impact on the environment by:

• covering, spraying and monitoring dirt and rock when being transported
• spraying water on open stockpiles and roads to keep dust down
• regularly dispatching street sweepers on local roads
• monitoring dust levels at key locations and taking additional action to suppress dust in extreme windy conditions.

Noise

Strict controls have been put in place to make sure construction noise is well managed and complies with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria guidelines. These controls include:

• choosing materials and equipment that limits noise
• using alternate construction methods to reduce noise impacts
• providing advance notice to the community and working with them to provide support options to reduce impacts
• monitoring noise levels and taking action to reduce noise wherever possible
• noise mitigation at the source, including noise walls and noise blankets.

If you feel you are experiencing excessive impacts from construction, contact the project team on 1800 105 105 or visit our Community Hub at 17 Watsonia Road, Watsonia between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

For languages other than English please call 9209 0147.

Please contact us if you would like this information in an accessible format. If you need assistance due to a hearing or speech impairment, visit relayservice.gov.au.