South Australia’s $15.4 billion non-stop North-South Corridor project has reached a major milestone with the arrival of the first its tunnel boring machine (TBM) components.
This shipment includes a massive TBM cutterhead delivered in five pieces, with the largest and heaviest centre section weighing around 175 tonnes and measuring 9 metres in diameter.
Once assembled, it is approximately 15 metres in diameter, roughly the height of the AFL goal posts at the Adelaide Oval.
The components will be transported on Saturday night from Port Adelaide to the River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project Southern Precinct in Clovelly Park, requiring progressive road closures.
They will then be reassembled and commissioned ahead of tunnelling works starting in the second half of 2026.
The T2D Project is jointly funded by the Federal and South Australian governments and is expected to support around 5,500 jobs per year during construction, with 90 per cent of labour hours undertaken by South Australians.
In total, three large-scale TBMs, each more than 100 metres long, will be used to construct the twin 4.5-kilometre Southern Tunnels and twin 2.2-kilometre Northern Tunnels, as part of the $15.4 billion build.
Two TBMs will launch from the project’s Southern Precinct in Clovelly Park, while the third is set to launch from the Central North Precinct at Richmond, making the T2D Project an Australian first of three TBMs operating at the same time.
Once complete, the T2D Project will create a non-stop South Road, allowing motorists to bypass 21 sets of traffic lights and cut travel times by up to 40 minutes in peak traffic.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said that this is an exciting step forward in building the non-stop South Road, which will create thousands of jobs, boost productivity and better connect communities in south west Adelaide.
“This project is a clear demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment, to deliver infrastructure that makes a real improvement in people’s lives,” King said.
“From Sydney Metro, to Melbourne’s North East Link, and now here in Adelaide, TBMs are tunnelling through our major projects, creating world-class transport connections.”
SA Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Emily Bourke, said that the arrival of these first TBM components is more than just a delivery, it’s the next step in a project that will reshape South Australia’s transport future.
“The TBMs will be the largest infrastructure equipment in the state. Each will be approximately 100 metres in length and the cutterhead will be 15 metres tall,” Bourke said.
“This colossal cargo made a safe voyage and now it’s time to make history underground.
“These machines will drive real progress, supporting local jobs and helping deliver a non-stop South Road that will reshape the way we move through Adelaide.”
