Cross River rail digging months ahead of schedule

The Cross River Rail project has unexpectedly shattered a major milestone at a rate of 30 metres a week, as it emerges the rock excavated from the tunnels will be used to build half of all new brick houses built in South East Queensland.

The Cross River Rail roadheaders have smashed through what will be Boggo Road Station two months ahead of schedule, and the rock will be reused in half of the new brick houses in southeast Queensland.

Two of the 22-metre long and 115-tonne machines have drilled through 900 metres each of tunnel, tearing through 30 metres a week.

Cross River Rail – Woolloongabba station cavern.

All that rock isn’t going to waste though, rather it will be used to build half of all new brick houses built in southeast Queensland.

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO Graeme Newton said they are going to every effort to use sustainable methods of the ‘spoil’ and 80 per cent is either being reused or stockpiled.

“A lot of the spoil generated across our mega project is beneficially reused at other Cross River Rail worksites, including the Mayne Yard and Clapham Yard stabling facilities,” Mr Newton said.

“It also goes to other commercial and residential development sites and has even been used in other transport projects, such as Pacific Motorway upgrades.”

Autral Bricks in Rochedale are using 60,000 cubic metres of spoil to make bricks which will be used in houses.

An August photo of the Cross River Rail Roma Street TBM breakthrough Picture RixRyan Photography

“These bricks will be used to build houses, hospitals and schools, meaning the spoil carved out to build Brisbane’s new underground will help shape the city and the region for years to come,” he said.

“In fact, about one in every two brick houses built in South East Queensland will be made from bricks that contain spoil generated by our tunnels.”

The Boggo Road station will be around 19 metres below the ground and have 220-metre-long platforms.

There are 3000 people working across the Cross River Rail project including 200 workers in the tunnels and 360 at Boggo Road station.

When the station is at full capacity it’s expected to be used by 23,000 daily.