Together Grace and Sandy have tunnelled more than 2.5km, with both machines now under the airport estate. Airport Central Station has also been fully excavated in anticipation for Grace’s breakthrough at the underground station next month.
Production of the tunnel segments is also in full swing. More than 30 per cent of the 54,000 segments required have already been produced and are being stockpiled at Forrestfield ready for use.
Join us for our first TBM open day
This is your chance to find out more about our tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and the project’s progress more broadly. Register your interest to attend an information session at the project’s information centre on Sunday February 25, with the session filled on a first-in, first-served basis.
The centre includes a 4m model of the TBM, as well as plenty of photos and videos. The event will run for approximately 1.5hours, and include a presentation as well as lots of time for questions.
Click here to register your interest to attend via email.
Diving in at Bayswater
Work is well underway on the diaphragm walls (d-walls) for the tunnel portal and dive structure, with 23 d-walls completed at an average 25m depth. The construction of the crane pads has started and will continue along Whatley Crescent, moving about 80m per week in a westerly direction.
Ground compaction will be done ahead of the works in preparation for the hardstand that will support the heavy equipment required to construct the d-walls. This work will be completed by mid-March.
Redcliffe ready for excavation
With the concrete walls for the underground station completed late last year, excavation has begun to remove spoil from within the station box. Once excavation is finished, around mid-2018, the base slab will be laid to seal the structure.
Meanwhile construction of the ground slab for the station is also underway, with expected completion in March.
Check out six months of work at our Redcliffe Station site in only 96 seconds.
Prepping for the TBMs to arrive at Airport Central
Excavation was completed at Airport Central Station in January and the whole base slab is now sealed. Concrete for the base slab will now be poured in six stages, the first stage (630m3) was completed on Tuesday.
With TBM Grace set to arrive in the coming month or so, works will be ongoing to get the station ready for her arrival. Waterproofing is continuing and is currently 40 per cent complete and the installation of steel reinforcing is currently 20 per cent complete.
Emergency egress shafts under construction
Construction of d-walls for the emergency egress shaft (EES) at Wright Crescent in Bayswater is well underway and is expected to be completed by mid-February. The next stage of works will involve a jet grouting process to assist construction of the cross passages between the tunnels and the EES. It is expected to begin by late February (subject to change) and take about three months to complete.
The Abernethy Road EES has been excavated to base slab level and in coming weeks will be connected to the tunnels.
At the Airport West EES, a crane will be mobilised to the site next week ready for excavation of the shaft to begin. There will be a slight increase in truck movements into and out of the site over the next couple of months.
Road diversion in Forrestfield
Work will begin this week on the Dundas Road realignment. Traffic management will be in place near the northern intersection (just north of Maida Vale Road) and the southern intersection (between Imperial Street and Berkshire Road). The lanes will remain open to motorists, but a reduced speed limit will be in place.
Construction on the new road will be ongoing until June 2018. Works will be behind a fenced area so there will be minimal impact on road users. The existing Dundas Road will remain open to traffic until the re-alignment is completed.