A 550-tonne gantry crane has lifted the first segments of a tunnel boring machine into place on Victoria’s North East Link project.
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news from Australasia’s lifting industry.
- Don’t miss a lift and subscribe to our monthly magazine.
- Download our latest digital magazine to catch up on the biggest news and developments in the crane industry.
Supplied by Eilbeck Cranes, the gantry crane lowered parts of the first of two TBMs into place on the project’s Watsonia site. Once their installation is completed, the two TBMs will begin their 6.5km journey by tunnelling toward Bulleen, closely followed by workers installing tunnel walls made of nearly 44,000 individual concrete segments.
Federal Member for Jagajaga, Kate Thwaites, said the project will be a “game-changer” for commuters and the local economy during the North East Link project’s construction.
“More than 5,000 workers are already working across North East Link, the Eastern Freeway Upgrade and M80 Ring Road,” she said, “with an incredible 12,000 jobs to be created over the life of the projects.”
The $26.1 billion North East Link project is being delivered by the Spark Consortium, made up of Pacific Partnerships, Ventia, WeBuild, GS Engineering and Construction, China Construction Oceania, Capella Capital, John Laing and DIF, and CPB Contractors, on behalf of the Victorian Government.
READ MORE:
- Franna safety radar provides North East Link ‘Spark’.
- Eilbeck’s gantry extracts TBM Vida on West Gate Tunnel Project.
- 1400-tonne custom-gantry completes final lifts.