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ITA Awards day is almost here - Reserve your ticket and join the party!

ITA Awards day is almost here - Reserve your ticket and join the party!

Excitement is building towards the 2024 ITA Tunnelling Awards celebration in Genoa, Italy, on Thursday 28 November 2024  The day-long event will celebrate the 25 Finalists of ... More Information

HS2 reaches halfway point on key ‘green tunnel’

Press Release - Construction of the 700-metre-long HS2 Burton Green ‘green tunnel’ is now 50% complete, with 150 people supporting the build process The last year has seen completion of ... More Information

Norway - Stad ship tunnel out for tender on December 1st

The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) plans to announce the tender for the Stad ship tunnel construction on December 1st 2024. The regulatory plans were completed at the end of October. NCA ... More Information

First TBM Debohra breakthrough for the U2 metro line in Vienna

First TBM Debohra breakthrough for the U2 metro line in Vienna

On 6th November TBM Debohra - length 127 m and weight 1,300 t -  has reached an important milestone for the U2 metro line in Vienna: after 240 m of underground work from Matzleinsdorfer Platz, ... More Information

Public comment period on Ballard Link Extension in United States, deadline December 9

Sound Transit has started the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping process for the Ballard Link Extension. The extension will add 12.39 km (7.7 miles) of light rail service with ... More Information

Final breakthrough for the Rante tunnel on the Ourense LAV bypass

On November 8, 2024, Adif AV celebrated the completion of the Rante tunnel excavation on the new Tabodela-Seixalbo route, part of Spain's high-speed rail (LAV) network. This 3.4-km tunnel, built ... More Information

Snowy 2.0 Project – New milestone for TBM Lady Eileen Hudson

Snowy 2.0 Project – New milestone for TBM Lady Eileen Hudson

The Snowy 2.0 pumped-hydro megaproject has marked a significant milestone, with one of three TBMs, Lady Eileen Hudson, now two-thirds of the way through its second tunnel excavation. The TBM is ... More Information

Record Rewritten! Largest-Diameter Shield Machine "Jianghai" comes off production line in China

Record Rewritten! Largest-Diameter Shield Machine "Jianghai" comes off production line in China

On October 31, a ground breaking shield machine with an excavation diameter of 16.64 meters—the largest Chinese made —rolled off the production line in Changsha, Hunan. This machine will ... More Information

A New Generation of ECO Soil Conditioning Products Reduces Water Use in EPB-TBM Tunnelling

A New Generation of ECO Soil Conditioning Products Reduces Water Use in EPB-TBM Tunnelling

Tunnel excavation using EPB-TBMs has achieved remarkable productivity due to advancements in TBM design, highly effective soil conditioning products, improved backfilling grout techniques, and more. ... More Information

TERRATEC EPBM advances Bangkok Water Supply Project

TERRATEC EPBM advances Bangkok Water Supply Project

In early October, a TERRATEC 4.8m diameter Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPBM) was lowered into place for the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority’s Ninth Bangkok Water Supply ... More Information

Renewed funding for HS2 project

Press release - In the latest 2024 UK budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has allocated renewed funding for the HS2 project, specifically prioritizing the development of its tunnel network. This ... More Information

Spain – Consideration of Reopening the Somport Railway Tunnel in Huesca

On September 26th , the Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility initiated the public consultation process for the Information Study on reopening the Somport railway tunnel in Huesca, ... More Information

Norway - Completion of the Bjonnas Twin-Tube Tunnel

On October 4, the final excavation phase of the Bjonnas Tunnel using the NATM (New Austrian Tunneling Method) was successfully completed! Crews excavated nearly 450,000 cubic meters of rock, some of ... More Information

Spain - Grant for Expansion and Upgrades to the Belate and Almandoz Tunnels on the N-121-A

On October 22, the Spanish Council of Ministers, following a proposal from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, approved a Royal Decree authorizing a direct grant of EUR 40 million to ... More Information

Tutor Perini Subsidiary Secures $1.1 Billion Contract for New York's Vital Water Tunnel Project

Frontier-Kemper Constructors, an Indiana-based construction company and subsidiary of Tutor Perini, has been awarded a $1.1 billion contract by the New York City Department of Environmental ... More Information

Snowy 2.0 Project – tunnel breakthrough!

On October 14th, a significant achievement was made in the Snowy 2.0 project with the breakthrough of the 216-meter tunnel connecting the water intake at the upper Tantangara reservoir to the gate ... More Information

Gates open on London's New super sewer heralding new era for the Thames

Gates open on London's New super sewer heralding new era for the Thames

Press release -  London’s super sewer, designed to protect the River Thames from sewage pollution well into the future, has now been turned on. In May 2024, the new 25km super sewer was ... More Information

Final Tunnel Boring Machine Launches as Sydney Metro West Reaches Major Milestones

 Final Tunnel Boring Machine Launches as Sydney Metro West Reaches Major Milestones

On October 16, 2024, tunnel boring machine (TBM) Ruby began its journey to carve out the final section of the Sydney Metro West project, marking a significant step for this city-shaping ... More Information

First Train Enters Cross River Rail Tunnel for Critical Testing

On October 18, 2024, a significant milestone was reached for the Cross River Rail project as a test train entered one of the project’s twin tunnels and arrived at a new underground station ... More Information

United States - TBM Mary restarted for HRBT project

United States - TBM Mary restarted for HRBT project

The TBM - six months to the day since it broke through the headwall at HRBT North Island - is on the move again. Mary began boring a twin eastbound towards Norfolk shortly after 17th October ... More Information

Turin/Lyon – Updates October

RFI - Turin-Lyon: legality protocol signed for the construction of the Italian section On 18 October 2024, the Legality Protocol was signed between the Prefecture of Turin, Rete Ferroviaria ... More Information

Italy/Tuscany - Voting is open for the name of the second TBM of the High-Speed Railway Bypass in Florence

From October 15th until October 28th, you can vote to choose between the four possible names - Marika, Toscana, Bianca and Viola - of the TBM that will excavate the second tunnel, (the odd track), ... More Information

Turin Metro Line 2: A Major Opportunity for the Local Economy

Turin Metro Line 2: A Major Opportunity for the Local Economy

On September 30, 2024, more than 150 companies from the Piedmont region, along with several major international firms, attended the conference "Opportunities for the Local Economy," focused on the ... More Information

Milan Expands Metro System with Completion of Line 4’s Final Stretch

Milan Expands Metro System with Completion of Line 4’s Final Stretch

On October 12, 2024, Milan celebrated the inauguration of the final section of its Line 4, also known as the Blue Line, connecting San Babila to San Cristoforo. This stretch, which adds 13 new ... More Information

Key Developments in the $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project

Key Developments in the $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project

The Hudson Tunnel Project, a $16.1 billion initiative, is making significant progress in enhancing rail links between New Jersey and New York City. As part of the larger Gateway Program, this ... More Information

Vietnam’s High-Speed Railway Project: A Leap Toward Modern Connectivity

Vietnam’s High-Speed Railway Project: A Leap Toward Modern Connectivity

Vietnam is embarking on an ambitious journey to revolutionize its transportation system through the development of a comprehensive High-Speed Railway (HSR) project. This multi-part initiative will ... More Information

CRCHI TBM Exported to Switzerland Begins Operations

CRCHI TBM Exported to Switzerland Begins Operations

On September 29th, at the Ingenbohl construction site, approximately 70 kilometers from Zurich, Switzerland, a new double-shield hard Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), designed and manufactured by China ... More Information

Lower Thames Crossing - Government extends planning deadline

On Monday 7 October, the Secretary of State for Transport announced a new deadline for Government to make a decision on the Lower Thames Crossing Development Consent Order (DCO) application, the ... More Information

A38 Saltash Tunnel technology upgrade

Press Release - Work to start in late November 2024 - We’re working with local stakeholders including the MP, councils, Derriford Hospital, Network Rail and GWR, as well as our construction ... More Information

Arrival of the First TBM for Lot 1A of the Battipaglia-Romagnano Section on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria High-Speed Line

Arrival of the First TBM for Lot 1A of the Battipaglia-Romagnano Section on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria High-Speed Line

The first of four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) designated for the excavation of tunnels in the Battipaglia-Romagnano section (Lot 1A) of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed rail line has arrived ... More Information

South Australia - Double down the TBMs purchase for River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project

South Australia - Double down the TBMs purchase for River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project

On 29/09/2024 the South Australian Government and the T2D Alliance have formally sealed a contract to purchase three initial TBMs from world-leading manufacturer Herrenknecht. Infrastructure and ... More Information

TERRATEC achieves another successful TBM breakthrough

TERRATEC achieves another successful TBM breakthrough

TERRATEC TBM S81B celebrated its first tunnel breakthrough at Otteri Station for the 116.1 km Chennai Metro Rail Phase-II Corridor 3 project in India. TERRATEC, a leading provider of tunnel boring ... More Information

Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East - TBMs on the way

The first 4 TBMs, manufactured by Herrenknecht,  for SRL East will begin arriving on site next year. The TBMs will be in the ground in 2026 and they will drill 16kms of twin tunnels between ... More Information

Switzerland - Federal Council Approves Final 3.5 km Section of the N28 in Prättigau

On September 13, 2024, the Swiss Federal Council approved the construction of the final 3.5 km stretch of the N28 between the Fideris/Jenaz and Küblis/Dalvazza junctions. The current road is ... More Information

France - Toulouse Metro Updates

Line B - At the end of August 2024, the consortium  Bessac, Soletanche Bachy, GTM Sud-Ouest TP GC with the TBM Clemence Isaure -  30m long and 5,28m in diameter - completed the second ... More Information

BBT - First breakthrough in the main Brenner Base tunnel in Austrian area

The ceremony has been held for the last breakthrough of the first main tunnel in the Austrian territory of the Brenner Base Tunnel. The breakthrough is at the Sill Gorge site, between lots H21 Sill ... More Information

Tunnelling News

East West Rail between Bedford and Cambridge to include new tunnels

15 November, 2024 By Thames Menteth Revised proposals for the East West Rail scheme’s section between Bedford and Cambridge include a new section of railway, as well as new stations and ... More Information

Amtrak's $1.6B East River Tunnel Rehab Work Contractors Get Notice to Proceed

Amtrak's $1.6-billion East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project in New York is advancing after construction manager STV Inc./Naik Consulting Group ... More Information

Tunnel Boring Machine for National Grid's VIP project in Eryri set to arrive in North Wales

National Grid is reaching a major milestone on the Eryri Visual Impact Provision (VIP) scheme with the arrival of its Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) to ... More Information

Tunnel boring machine hits major milestone on Snowy 2.0 project

The Snowy 2.0 pumped-hydro megaproject recently marked a significant milestone, with one of three tunnel boring machines (TBM), Lady Eileen Hudson ... More Information

Morocco-Spain Underwater Tunnel Plans Move Forward with Renewed Focus

Discover the ambitious Morocco-Spain Underwater Tunnel project, set to connect continents in under 30 minutes and revolutionize travel between ... More Information

Alaska Transportation Department to spend $1 million on Knik Arm tunnel study

The results of the feasibility study will give us a better picture of how the project could be constructed, potential costs, and financing options,” ... More Information

Extra tunnels included in £6bn East West Rail scheme

Bowing to pressure to reduce the project's environmental impact two tunnels are now proposed for the new stretch of railway in Cambridgeshire. Design ... More Information

Balfour Beatty VINCI reaches halfway point on key HS2 'green tunnel'

As well as Burton Green, green tunnels will be constructed at Copthall in Hillingdon, Wendover in Buckinghamshire and Chipping Warden and Greatworth, ... More Information

Webuild-led consortium confirmed for US$1.1 billion tunnelling work

Webuild-led consortium confirmed for US$1.1 billion tunnelling work (US$1.1 billion) tunnelling package on the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East public transport project to a consortium of ... More Information

Balfour Beatty snares $746M I-35 rebuild in Texas

The London-based contractor will reconstruct 2.5 miles of the highway through downtown Austin and build a link to the future light rail line. AECOM-Jacobs JV signs on to $6B Amtrak tunnel ... More Information

Metro Vancouver digs water tunnel designed to withstand 'the big one' under Fraser River

Crews have begun construction on a new $450-million water supply tunnel between New Westminster and Surrey designed to withstand a major earthquake. More Information

Longest tunnel in Poland begins construction

The project, managed by the Polish company Budimex and Turkish Gülermak, includes 10 viaducts and 12 bridges. This unprecedented investment will ... More Information

Watercare Passes Key Milestone On $300M Programme To Improve Wastewater Services

Watercare and McConnell Dowell celebrate Piper's final breakthrough. On Sunday (subs note: November 10), Piper – a tunnel-boring machine – completed ... More Information

Tutor Perini Scores Contracts

The tunnel project includes the construction of two new shafts connecting to the surface and the use of a tunnel boring machine. The completed ... More Information

Bengaluru Metro completes tunnelling for longest underground line

The final breakthrough came from Bhadra, the last Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) deployed, which completed a 937-meter stretch from K G Halli to Nagawara ... More Information

Eastern Freeway Upgrade preferred bidders confirmed

Tunnel boring is currently underway on the North East Link project, with machines currently digging under Yallambie. Federal Minister for ... More Information

Bengaluru civic body completes DPR for 18-km underground tunnel road network

Designed to ease Bengaluru's notorious traffic congestions, the project will deploy six massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) with a diameter of 14.7 ... More Information

Frontier-Kemper Awarded $1.1 Billion Kensico-Eastview Connection Tunnel Project

Frontier-Kemper Awarded $1.1 Billion Kensico-Eastview Connection Tunnel Project for New York City Department of Environmental Protection... More Information

Assam's first underwater tunnel: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says DPR nears completion

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Gohpur-Numaligarh tunnel project is almost ... More Information

The Tunnel Vision: A look at California's $20B plan to solve to the state's water crisis

Minassian describes the process, locations and implications of the operation using four tunnel boring machines. READ STORY | HEAR PODCAST. PART 3 ... More Information

Ruby deployed for final Metro West tunnel beneath Sydney Harbour

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Ruby has begun carving out the final section of tunnel for the Sydney Metro West project. More Information

Photos: Inside the $250 Million Tunnel Being Constructed Under Columbus

Located at an average depth of 50 feet underground, the 12-foot-diameter tunnel has been under construction since early 2021. By the time it is ... More Information

Tideway: £4.5bn ‘super sewer’ begins to protect Thames as first 4 sites activated

The Thames Tideway Tunnel has commenced operation as the first four of 21 sites have been switched on. This means that, after eight years of construction, the 25km £4.5bn “super sewer” has ... More Information

Lowest bidder emerges for Dubai Metro Blue line

Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) opened bids from contractors for the contract to design and build Dubai Metro’s Blue Line on 8 October. The group of China Tiesiju Civil ... More Information

Sanya River estuary passage project makes steady progress

A drone photo shows the construction site of the Sanya River estuary passage project in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 12, 2024. The Sanya River estuary passage project ... More Information

Mumbai Metro 3: Breaking Ground, Defying Odds

Two tunnels for the 33.5-km corridor (Colaba to Aarey), totalling 55 km, were carved out, using 17 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs). Certain sections ... More Information

VIDEO: Drone fly through inside new HRBT tunnel

We can't fly you to the moon, but we can fly you through the new #HRBTExpansion tunnel. Drone video gives you a quick glimpse into the... More Information

Skanska receives Innovate UK funding to accelerate decarbonisation of concrete

Our Skanska Costain STRABAG JV has secured funding to trial repurposed London Clay as a low carbon alternative to cement... More Information

Longest Tunnel in the World Entering Final Phase Underneath Newburgh

Repair Plans for the Delaware Aqueduct in Wawarsing and Newburgh, NY. The plan for repairs involved the construction of a 2.5 mile bypass tunnel ... More Information

Two TBM's break through

Two TBM's break through. Joshua Farrell ... tunnelling segments to line the new tunnel walls. Work inside the ... More Information

Texas A&M eyes Elon Musk's Boring Company for tunnel system

A&M officials have conducted a feasibility study with positive results, but they have yet to talk with Musk about the project, Chief Operating Officer ... More Information

Construction Begins on £1.8bn Underwater Tunnel Under Panama Canal

The tunnel is part of Panama's Metro Line 3 monorail project, designed to ease traffic congestion in the metropolitan area. tunnel boring machine... More Information

Webuild at work on the massive railway tunnel at the heart of the Northeast Corridor

After years of planning, the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP) to improve the railway connection between New York and New Jersey has begun. The first drilling contract for the tunnels, part of ... More Information

TfL Awards Contract for Elephant & Castle Tube Station Upgrade

Transport for London (TfL) has selected Dragados UK to design and construct new passenger tunnels at Elephant & Castle Tube station. These tunnels will connect the new station box to the ... More Information

More than 10 years of transformational tunnelling

More than 23,000 workers, 11 tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and an army of roadheaders and excavators are what it has taken for CPB Contractors to construct more than 80 kilometres of ... More Information

Ivy – the Newest Member of the DEME Marine Fleet on the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel Project

DEME have introduced “Ivy”, the newest member of their marine fleet for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel project! Specifically designed for the transport and immersion of the project’s 89 massive ... More Information

Double down: SA’s groundbreaking purchase

Up to twice the number of Tunnel Boring Machines previously anticipated will be delivered to South Australia for the landmark River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project, giving hope the ... More Information

CRL Tunnel Vision September 2024

This month in Tunnel Vision we’re celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori! It’s been a busy month on the CRL fitting out the stations with all the technical systems needed to run and revealing ... More Information

Siddhababa tunnel achieves key breakthroughs.

The first and third cross passages of the Siddhababa Tunnel Project on the Siddhartha Highway have achieved breakthroughs. Construction of two of ... More Information