The two tunnel boring machines charged with the job of building the twin West Gate Tunnels have been completely dismantled and all of the underground roadway installed in the next big milestone for the project.
Nearly 7km of road deck was installed across both tunnels as over 250 people worked underground 24/7 to get the job done, while a 400-tonne crane has lifted the final pieces of TBM Bella’s 15.6-metre wide cutterhead out of the outbound tunnel exit, and TBM Vida has been dismantled at the inbound entry near Williamstown Road in the West Gate Freeway.
The massive green gantry crane used to remove TBM Vida has also been dismantled over a 9-day period finishing on 29 October.
Crews will now continue the massive job to fit out the tunnels which, once open, will provide a much-needed alternative to the West Gate Bridge. Inside both tunnels, workers are installing hundreds of kilometres of electrical and safety systems, while at ground level work is progressing on the ventilation systems at the westbound portal and the installation of the timber net structures.
Learn more
- Learn more about the twin tunnels that will connect the West Gate Freeway to Footscray Rd.