How a big pile of dirt is throwing West Gate Tunnel into chaos
The $6.7 billion West Gate tunnel project has been thrown into further turmoil, with a fresh crisis sparking cost headaches and fears our biggest road project may be delayed until after the 2022 state election.
National
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Major tunnelling on Melbourne’s second river crossing in the west that should have already started will be delayed until at least February because of a soil contamination crisis.
The issue has thrown the $6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel into chaos and sparked fears it will not be completed by the 2022 state election as budget overruns rise amid massive remediation costs.
Premier Daniel Andrews said no corners would be cut when dealing with the contamination issue.
“There are some PFAs issues in terms of the soil,” he said.
“There are safety issues and the alternative is to just ignore it and we are not going to do that.
“We are going to deal with those safety issues in the most appropriate way.
“What I will say is reports about delays are simply not right there is a power of work going on there.
“We have a contract for that project to be finished in 2022 and we expect it to be delivered.”
When asked about whether taxpayers would foot the bill for the cost blowouts Mr Andrews said he would not engage in commercial negationsions publicly nor had he been advised of potential legal claims regarding the increasing costs.
The scale of the contamination has fuelled delays, and asbestos found on site and the presence of industrial chemical PFAS — revealed by the Herald Sun in July — have limited the number of tips that can take the hazardous material.
The consortium leading the construction, which includes CPB and John Holland, has now agreed to expensive “bulk excavation” of earth at problem sites in former industrial areas.
Major boring was expected to start in July but the Herald Sun has been told it will be delayed until at least February.
Hundreds of tunnel workers brought in for the project have been given Christmas leave after earlier being told they would be working through the holiday period.
“No one knows what will happen in February, the hope is they will start then,” an industry source said.
A spokeswoman for Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said Transurban — which is responsible for delivering the tunnel — “must deliver the project by late 2022” under its contract.
A source said 200 specialist tunnellers who were brought in had been left with little to do. The construction of boring machines has been deliberately slowed to extend the timeline and give workers something to do.
A source said the consortium was likely to make a cost claim to the government — which is already dealing with blowouts on the Metro Tunnel and other major projects — of up to $1 billion.
About 1.5 million cubic metres of rock and soil has to be removed to tunnel under Yarraville between the West Gate Freeway and the Maribyrnong River. Project chief Peter Sammut said two tunnel boring machines were installed in launch sites while preparations for spoil management were finalised, with work continuing on other parts of the project.
The EPA, which oversees the disposal of contaminated soil, said it was working with project managers “on establishing preferred options for the management of soil from the project”.
An EPA spokesman said asbestos had to be tracked and taken to a licensed site. “Any proposal to re-use the soil will need to satisfy the EPA to ensure any risk is managed,” he said.
CFMEU occupational health and safety manager Dr Gerry Ayers said: “Safety needs to be treated with the utmost seriousness and it’s good to see that the consortium has now recognised that.”
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Ms Allan’s spokeswoman said last night: “Transurban and its builder are working with the EPA and WorkSafe to ensure contaminated soil is managed and removed safely, and soil testing is being carried out.”
Opposition transport infrastructure spokesman David Davis said: “The Andrews Government’s failure to properly scope the project has again put taxpayers in trouble. The overruns are adding up and Labor can’t manage these major projects.”
Originally published as How a big pile of dirt is throwing West Gate Tunnel into chaos