Two tunnel boring machines have arrived at the Sydney Metro West Project, in preparation for the construction of 11km long twin-tunnels connecting Greater Parramatta to the Sydney CBD, complementing new excavation works for the new Sydney Olympic Park Metro Station.
The $12.4 billion Sydney Metro West line, measuring 24km once built, will provide a transport link to the growing communities of Western Sydney.
The tunnel boring machines (TBMs) include refurbished parts from the mega boring machines used on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project. The cutterheads, front shields and gripper shields were originally used for the TBMs that dug the metro tunnels from Chatswood to Blues Point.
Once launched, the newly arrived TBMs will excavate an average of 200m per week, with around 15 workers per shift operating each TBM 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Caption: Each TBM weighs almost 1,300t, equivalent to three Boeing 747 jets. Photo: Sydney Metro.
New South Wales Premier, Dominic Perrottet, said Sydney Metro was Australia’s largest public transport project.
Our Government is transforming the way that people move around Sydney, investing more than $76 billion in transport infrastructure across the state, including more than $16 billion in Western Sydney alone,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The centrepiece of this investment is Sydney Metro, the biggest public transport project in Australia.
“Work is now underway to excavate 468,000t of rock and soil – the equivalent to 78 Olympic swimming pools – to make way for a state-of-the-art metro station at Sydney Olympic Park.
“This new transport link will further reinforce Sydney Olympic Park’s status as a premier events, sporting, and entertainment precinct, supporting the transit of more than ten million people who visit or stay each year.”
New South Wales’ Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney, David Elliott, announced that two mega tunnel boring machines are now on site at The Bays.
“Two mega tunnel boring machines located at The Bays have the important job of carving out 11km twin tunnels from The Bays to Sydney Olympic Park, bringing Sydney’s booming west one step closer to a world-class rapid metro system in their own backyard,” Mr Elliott said.
“When passenger services start in 2030, Sydney Metro will open the door for more people to explore this dynamic destination, providing a major boost for the area.
The TBMs are due to start tunnelling from The Bays in the first half of 2023 and will arrive in Sydney Olympic Park in late 2024.
Excavation of the station is expected to take around thirteen months to complete and will include the installation of 114 active anchors and 467 passive bolts, and 2151 rock bolts to support the station box structure, as digging progresses to a depth of around 27m.
The excavation work has started on the station boxes for Sydney Metro West stations at The Bays, Burwood North and Sydney Olympic Park. The first tunnel boring machine will arrive at Sydney Olympic Park in late 2024.
