New pics reveal scale of Metro Tunnel work ahead of arrival of monster borers

It’s the Metro Tunnel like you’ve never seen it before. Check out these exclusive pictures showing the sheer scale of Melbourne’s massive underground operation as workers prepare multiple CBD sites for years of tunnelling. SEE THE INTERACTIVE PICS

Metro tunnellers have dug up enough dirt to fill 47 Olympic swimming pools ahead of the first of four mammoth boring machines arriving in Melbourne this month.

Exclusive new pictures obtained by the Herald Sun reveal the sheer scale of the massive operation as workers prepare the city for years of tunnelling.

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Engineered in Germany and built in China, the first machine is now on a boat ­travelling west of the Philippines on its way to the Port of Melbourne.

When it arrives, a painstaking operation will begin to move the 1000-tonne structure along arterials and city streets, shutting down traffic at times around the port as it makes its way towards Laurens St, North Melbourne.

Thomas McCarthy and Shane Butchers at the site near Franklin St. Picture: Alex Coppel

Construction at the Franklin St site. Picture: Alex Coppel

Crane operator Todd Jopp at the site of Domain station. Picture: Alex Coppel

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In May, it will be lowered into the ground with another borer and begin digging the twin tunnels that Victoria’s new high-capacity trains will eventually travel through.

Another two machines will begin digging south of the river later this year, starting at the Anzac station site and heading towards South Yarra.

Each tunnel boring machine will excavate about 10m every 24 hours over three years as they dig out twin tunnels stretching 9km each.

They are 100m long, 7.2m tall and big enough for workers to stand inside as it excavates tonnes of dirt.

Construction at the Domain station site. Picture: Alex Coppel

Construction at the site of the Parkville station. Picture: Alex Coppel

Construction at the site of the Parkville station site. Picture: Alex Coppel

At its deepest, the tunnel will be 37m below the ground and will travel under the Yarra River and City Loop tunnels.

More than a million artefacts, up to 180 years old, have been uncovered during early works on the massive project and 40,000 cubic metres of concrete has been poured as our five new underground stations start to take shape.

Acting Transport Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne said the $11 billion project was a monumental engineering feat.

A tunnel boring machine on its way to Melbourne to be used in the Metro Tunnel. Picture: Rail Projects Victoria

“Construction on the Metro Tunnel will continue to ramp up this year, as hundreds of workers and four massive tunnel boring machines help build the tunnels and five new underground stations that will take Melbourne’s train network into the future,” she said.

“The Metro Tunnel is the next step to provide more regular and ­reliable services ­between the CBD and the suburbs, while slashing travel times by up to 25 minutes each way to some of the city’s key employment, education, health and tourism destinations.”

Acoustic sheds have been built around station sites in the CBD to protect residents from noise and dust and more will be erected this year as construction progresses.

Another six roadheader machines will be digging under the city at any time in 2019 as they build the massive caverns that will be the State Library and Town Hall stations.

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