Work resumes on Metro Tunnel as standoff ends
Work on the Metro Tunnel has restarted, days after workers downed tools in a shock shutdown. It comes after a dispute over cost blowouts on the multibillion-dollar project with the Andrews Government.
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Digging has restarted on Melbourne’s $11 billion Metro Tunnel after the consortium building the project backed down.
The two massive tunnel boring machines spent days laying idle underground this week after the Cross Yarra Partnership halted work on Monday morning over a dispute with the Andrews Government over cost blowouts.
They were initially expected to be out of action for several weeks, with workers put on training programs ahead of Christmas holidays.
But workers were back on the site on Thursday night as the machines were scheduled to be switched back on.
“Operational matters on the Metro Tunnel Project are a decision for Cross Yarra Partnerships and Rail Projects Victoria,” a government spokeswoman said.
“There is a contract in place to build the Metro Tunnel by 2025 — and we expect them to deliver that.”
The shock move came a month after a mediator was called in to sort out the fight between the builders and the state government.
Industry sources have speculated the group may try to claim as much as $3 billion in overruns.
One tunnel boring machine has travelled 540m and the other 281m from their starting points in North Melbourne.
During the standoff, industry sources questioned whether the machines could become stuck underground, or even start to sink in the relatively soft soil in Melbourne’s north.
“You want them to run all the way — they’re not designed to sit there,” one source said, pointing to technical issues that had occurred on other tunnel projects around the world.
But it is understood the machines had been left in “bypass mode”, which meant the front cutters were still ticking over.
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Work had also been done to ensure the ground was stable before drilling was paused, and technical experts were monitoring the situation.
On Tuesday, Premier Daniel Andrews hit out at the builders over the decision to stop digging.
“This is a pretty obvious tactic from some giant building companies who are very keen to get some more money out of Victorian taxpayers,” he said at the time.
“We have a message for those building companies, these tactics will not work.”