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Transition Completes the Silvertown Tunnel

Riverlinx CJV - the construction joint venture of Ferrovial Construction, BAM Nuttall and SK ecoplant working on behalf of Transport for London - completed construction works for the connections ... More Information

BTS 2024 Conference & Exhibition - Registration is open

The BTS 2024 Conference and Exhibition is the largest gathering of tunnelling professionals in the UK. Taking place on October 8th – 9th, 2024 at the QEII Conference Centre, Westminster, ... More Information

Hyperbaric excavation for the Casalnuovo tunnel on the HS/HC Napoli-Bari line

Webuild, which was awarded the contract by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) for the Naples-Cancello lot of the Naples-Bari high-speed/high-capacity railway line, is using hyperbaric excavation ... More Information

Registration now open for ‘Open Days’ at the Modane construction site

Press release - For the first time, the Villarodin-Bourget/Modane underground construction site, where part of the Mont Cenis base tunnel, at the centre of the new Turin-Lyon railway line, is ... More Information

Italy/Sicily: TBM Margherita reaches 1 km of advancement on the Ogliastrillo-Castelbuono section

  At the beginning of May, the TBM Margherita (10 m in diameter and 140 m long) reached 1 km of advancement in the excavation of the odd-numbered track tube of the 6.87 km-long, ... More Information

Final breakthrough for Roseto 1 tunnel, Megalot 3, SS 106 in Italy

Final breakthrough for Roseto 1 tunnel, Megalot 3, SS 106 in Italy

On 10 May 2024 the last northbound piece of the twin-tube rock Roseto 1 tunnel (1.2km) was demolished. The tunnel will be completed using concrete and pre-cast concrete segments for the final ... More Information

Georgia - TBM Caucasus completes 9km tunnel for the Kvesheti-Kobi highway

Georgia - TBM Caucasus completes 9km tunnel for the Kvesheti-Kobi highway

On 23 May 2024 the single shield hard rock TBM, manufactured by CREG and named Caucasus, completed the excavation of the 9 km tunnel, connecting the village of Kvesheti with the village of Kobiin, ... More Information

Toulouse Metro - Line B connection.

Work on the Connexion Ligne B is progressing! On Wednesday 15 May - after three months of work - the TBM Clemence Isaure - 30 m long, 5.28 m in diameter and reconditioned by the BESSAC company ... More Information

The ITA tunnelling awards 2024 - Call for entries

The 10th edition of the ITA Tunnelling Awards will take place in Genoa (Italy) on November 28, 2024 at the occasion of the ITA and SIG 50th anniversary celebration organized by the Italian ... More Information

Updates on Watercare Services Limited’s Central Interceptor Project

Updates on Watercare Services Limited’s Central Interceptor Project

In a significant milestone, the TBM Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, nearly 200 meters in length, has successfully breached into a shaft at a depth of 47 meters below ground. This achievement took place at the ... More Information

INTERMAT 2024: an edition driving progress and promoting business

The 2024 edition of the tradeshow, with its redesigned offering and format, registered over its four-day duration 127,500 entries, 21% of which from outside France and from 130 countries. A total ... More Information

TBM for Santiago metro line 7 begins operation in Renca

On Monday 06 May 2024 the ministry of transportation and Santiago metro witnessed the launch ceremony of the TBM EPB christened La Matucana, after an avenue in Quinta Normal municipality. The ... More Information

Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport tunnels on homestretch

Mega TBMs constructing the Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport southern tunnels are edging closer to their final destinations.     TBMs Eileen and Peggy have built 4.78 ... More Information

TERRATEC delivers another EPBM for Bangkok Metro Purple Line

TERRATEC delivers another EPBM for Bangkok Metro Purple Line

TERRATEC is pleased to announce the delivery of another new 6.39m diameter Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPBM) for the construction of the Bangkok Metro Purple Line (C3). The event ... More Information

The North East Link TBMs to be named after ground breaking women

Help name - by nominating a local legend - the two massive TBMs (length 90 m, diameter 15.6 m and weight 4000t) that will start in 2024 building 6.5km twin tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen for the ... More Information

Sydney Metro West - TBMs Beatrice and Daphne reach Burwood North

Sydney Metro West - TBMs Beatrice and Daphne reach Burwood North

On the 30th April two TBMs Beatrice and Daphne arrived at Burwood North station site as the 24-km Sydney Metro West twin tunnels connecting Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD continue to take ... More Information

Canada - TBM Elsie completed the Broadway subway project

Canada - TBM Elsie completed the Broadway subway project

On April 26, TBM Elsie arrived at Arbutus Station and completed her journey from the future station Great Northern Way-Emily Carr for the Broadway subway project in Vancouver. Click here and ca/38 ... More Information

New FAT tests completed for TBMs that will excavate the Lot 3 and Lot 4 of the Palermo-Catania link

New FAT tests completed for TBMs that will excavate the Lot 3 and Lot 4 of the Palermo-Catania link

On April 19,  another two TBMs - TBM#4 code DZ1379 and TBM#5 code DZ1380 - that will excavate Lot 3 Lercara - Caltanissetta Xirbi, in Sicily, successfully completed the FAT test in ... More Information

Eglinton Crosstown West Extension tunnel boring machine reaches finish line

Eglinton Crosstown West Extension tunnel boring machine reaches finish line

Press release - One of two twin tunnel boring machines digging the western underground segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension has broken through the final ... More Information

Brazil - New milestone reached in the metro Line 2 expansion of the Sao Paulo

Brazil - New milestone reached in the metro Line 2 expansion of the Sao Paulo

On 20/04/2024 the TBM Cora Coralina which is building the 7.3 km tunnels for the metro Line 2-Green extension in Sao Paulo has reached the VSE Coxim shaft. The shaft is an intermediate shaft for ... More Information

USA - Milestone in the construction of the HRBT extension project

USA - Milestone in the construction of the HRBT extension project

On 17th April 2024 TBM Mary broke through the headwall on the North Island at Hampton, completing the first of the two road tunnels for the USD 4bn HRBT expansion project in Virginia. ... More Information

Nepal - Breakthrough in the Nagdhunga tunnel

On 15 April the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal switched on the electric control for the breakthrough of the 2,688 m Nagdhunga tunnel connecting Sisnekhola of Dhading to Totipakha of ... More Information

The final Sydney Metro West TBMs have arrived

The final Sydney Metro West TBMs have arrived

Sydney Metro West is gearing up to build Sydney’s second under-harbour railway crossing with the final TBMs arriving on site. The two TBMs will carve out the 2.3-km twin tunnels from The Bays, ... More Information

HS2 launches fourth TBM under London building the Northolt Tunnel

HS2 launches fourth TBM under London building the Northolt Tunnel

On April 8th, 2024 construction of the new HS2 line has hit another major milestone with the launch of the fourth – and final – machine being used to build the Northolt tunnel, length ... More Information

Milestones for Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project

The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project at Toronto has hit two major milestones - Rexy, one of the TBMs has completed 6 kms of tunnelling so far. The other TBM, Renny, has completed just over ... More Information

Central Interceptor TBM reaches 10-km milestone

Central Interceptor TBM reaches 10-km milestone

Hiwa-i-te Rangi TBM has reached the 10-km mark after leaving a site next to Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant in August 2021, as she heads to Pt Erin, Herne Bay to build the 16.2-km Central ... More Information

TERRATEC delivers a new Rock EBP TBM for Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project

TERRATEC delivers a new Rock EBP TBM for Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project

TERRATEC has delivered a 3.14m Rock EPB TBM for the Mumbai Sewer Disposal Project (MSDP) Stage-II – PST2 in Mumbai, India by J Kumar and Michigan Engineers Private Ltd. (MEPL) Joint Venture ... More Information

Spain - Monte Plano tunnel excavation completed

Spain - Monte Plano tunnel excavation completed

On 27 March 2024, Adif AV completed excavation of the Monte Plano tunnel (1.9 km) on the Olite-Tafalla South section (7.6 km) of the high-speed rail corridor in Navarra. The tunnel - built using the ... More Information

Thames Tideway Tunnel now fully built after final lid lifted into place

Work to build the Thames Tideway Tunnel - the London’s super sewer - including its tunnels and shafts, is now fully complete following the lifting of a giant, 24m-wide circular concrete ... More Information

Canada - TBM Phyllis Crosses the Finish Line for the Broadway subway project

Canada - TBM Phyllis Crosses the Finish Line for the Broadway subway project

TBM Phyllis arrived at Cypress Street near the future Arbutus Station on March 20, completing her journey from the tunnel portal at the future Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station. TBM Elsie is ... More Information

VTA’s Official TBM Naming Contest for the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project is Live!

VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project is excited to announce the launch of its Official TBM Naming Contest for the machine that will bore the 8.05 km (5-mile tunnel) portion of ... More Information

Final breakthrough for the Chiltern tunnel, HS2’s longest tunnel

Final breakthrough for the Chiltern tunnel,  HS2’s longest tunnel

Cecilia, the second 2000 t TBM, reached northern portal of 16.09 km (10 mile) high-speed rail tunnel under Chiltern Hills completing a journey that began in June 2021: click here for the ... More Information

First tunnel started for Coffs Harbour bypass, Australia

First tunnel started for Coffs Harbour bypass, Australia

The Australian and NSW Governments are funding the EUR1.4 bn (AUD2.2 bn), 14-km Coffs Harbour bypass project in New South Wales (Australia). The Coffs Harbour bypass project includes the following ... More Information

Completed the EIA for Port expansion and port tunnel in Helsinki, Finland

Completed the EIA for Port expansion and port tunnel in Helsinki, Finland

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the expansion of the Länsisatama Oy harbour in Helsinki and the harbour tunnel has been completed.  The expansion of the western harbour and ... More Information

Italy/Sicily - FAT passed for the TBM on Palermo-Catania Railway Lot 4A

Italy/Sicily - FAT passed for the TBM on Palermo-Catania Railway Lot 4A

The TBM EPB - 9.28 m diameter – which will be involved in the excavation of the new Palermo-Catania railway Lot 4A (Caltanissetta Xirbi - Enna section) passed its FAT at the Changsha ... More Information

Toulouse metro updates

Press Release - Catellan's Marguerite TBM delivered - On 29 February, Catellan's Marguerite, the third TBM of Line C of the Toulouse metro, was delivered. The first parts will reach the construction ... More Information

Tunnelling News

IN MEMORIAM - OLIVIER VION (1962-2024)

Through the past decades, the energy and foresight to lead the management of the ITA International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association has been in the hands of Olivier Vion, a man ... More Information

Amtrak awards construction contract for East River Tunnel rehabilitation

The $1.6 billion project calls for demolishing all existing tunnel systems down to the liner, then restoring both tubes. During the project, one tube ... More Information

Strabag in €110 million deal to equip transalpine tunnel

Austrian contractor Strabag has won a €110 million (US$120 million) to equip a transalpine tunnel linking Austria and Slovenia... More Information

19 tunnel boring machines for Manila subway set

A close-up of the tunnel boring machine head, with a diameter of 6.9 meters. ... The first cutter head of the first tunnel boring machine (TBM), named ... More Information

$16 billion Gateway Tunnel Project gets federal funding boost after years of delays

The $16.1 billion project includes a new rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey — and is set to be open by 2035 ... More Information

Preferred bidder announced for second tunnelling contract

The global consortium of WeBuild S.p.A, GS Engineering and Construction Australia and Bouygues Construction ... Tunnel Project, North East Link ... More Information

Bechtel Picked as CM for $12.7B Single-bore BART Extension

Officials with the VTA are aiming to begin major construction and tunnelling for the $12.7-billion BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project next ... More Information

Stonehenge could be put on world heritage danger list over tunnel plan

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended that Stonehenge be listed as ‘World Heritage in Danger’ due to the A303 upgrade scheme and is ... More Information

World’s longest railway tunnel to reopen after a year

The tunnel closed on 10th August last year following the derailment of a freight train, and SBB has since been pushing ahead with repair work... More Information

Afcons Infrastructure Wins Bid for Thane Tunnel Project

Afcons Infrastructure secures the L1 bid for a tunnel project in Thane, marking a significant milestone in infrastructure development. More Information

Kolkata Metro: D-Wall's Construction Work At Victoria Metro Station Is Advancing Swiftly

For the tunnelling work of the stretch from the Khidderpore to Park Street stretch of this Corridor, two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will be deployed ... More Information

K2D Skøyen – Vækerø

Implenia has been awarded the contract for section K2D Skøyen - Vækerø, which is part of the entire Fornebu line that will be completed in 2030... More Information

Massey Tunnel replacement project hits design-build proposal stage

Tunnel replacement project has finally hit the design-and-build proposal stage. The Transportation Ministry announced Wednesday that three bid ... More Information

Barhale wins £36m East London sewer remediation

Thames Water has appointed Barhale to deliver essential remediation works on a Victorian gravity sewer as it passes above the Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway in East London... More Information

Reaping Rewards From Continuous Innovation

In boring underground tunnels for Malaysia's MRTs, Gamuda developed the world's first autonomous tunnel boring machine (A-TBM), utilizing in-house ... More Information

5 of the longest tunnels in the world and how they were built

Since the invention of the tunnel boring machine in 1853, engineers have used advanced technology to drill, blast, and bore into the earth. From ... More Information

Femern - inauguration of the first tunnel element

We are pleased to announce that H.M. King Frederik X will take part in the inauguration of the first tunnel element on the construction site on 17 June. H.M. King Frederik X will arrive at ... More Information

HOCHTIEF-MURPHY Joint Venture (HMJV)

A busy first half of the year on the HOCHTIEF-MURPHY Joint Venture (HMJV) Package 5 Headhouses & M&E contract on National Grid’s LPT Phase 2... More Information

Tesla Cybertruck escorts Boring Co's Prufrock-3 tunnel boring machine

The Boring Company's Prufrock-3 tunnel boring machine (TBM) recently completed a tunnel to Giga Texas, and in true Elon Musk fashion, ... More Information

Kazakhstan’s First Automobile Tunnel and Largest Bridge to be Completed this Year

As reported by the Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, Kazakhstan’s first automobile tunnel through the Shakpak Baba Pass and the country’s largest bridge over the Bukhtarma Reservoir ... More Information

HRBT Expansion Project hits big milestone, could be on track for early completion

The tunnel boring machine, known as Mary ... construction of our two new bored tunnels,” said Project Director Ryan Banas... More Information

TBMs Pass Factory Test For Lesotho Highlands Water Project

A team of engineers and tunnel experts from the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) together with consultants and contractors working on the Polihali transfer tunnel recently ... More Information

Royal Cargo opts for Goldhofer heavy transport equipment

It has also been in action moving tunnel boring machines (TBM) for the Metro Manila Subway project ... machine part posed a significant challenge due ... More Information

Tunnel breakthrough on NI Water's £7.8M Portadown wastewater project

The tunnel boring machine excavated roughly 1,000m3 of material, which would have risen to 8,000m3 of spoil with a more traditional open-cut method. More Information

The Boring Company announces Cybertunnel at Tesla Texas HQ

In January, the company's latest tunnel boring machine (TBM), Prufrock 3, was first spotted near Tesla's Giga Texas. Prufrock-3 has ... More Information

How do you build tunnels and bridges underwater?

Underground construction usually uses powerful tunnel-boring machines to excavate soil directly. This machine is often called a mole for a reason. More Information

Five Huge New Construction Projects Coming To The US

A spokesperson for the project told Newsweek: "The Hudson Tunnel Project is a generational investment that is expected to create 95,000 new jobs and ... More Information

Chennai Metro Corridor 3: Adyar River Tunnel Work Hampered By Geological Setbacks

For the stretch between Greenways Road and Adyar, CMRL engaged two TBMs, 'Kauvery' and 'Adyar.' These machines were launched from Greenways Road ... More Information

French and Danish firms to build Valby 'cloudburst tunnel'

The underground tunnel will be 2,380m long and will be constructed as a drilled tunnel with an internal diameter of 3.4m. The tunnel will have the ... More Information

Howard's approved budgets include $44.9M for Ellicott City tunnel

The Howard County Council has approved a $2.4 billion operating budget for fiscal 2025, along with a $413 million capital construction budget that ... More Information

DC Water Breaks Ground On Potomac River Tunnel Project

DC Water on May 21 hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to officially commence construction activities for the Potomac River Tunnel Project... More Information

Silvertown Tunnel portal connections completed

A complete transformation of the tunnel shape was needed to connect the circular tunnel boring machine (TBM) constructed ... More Information

The $4BN Tunnel to Save Stockholm - The B1M

Above: A tunnel entrance under construction. When it completes in 2030, the $4BN project will be one of the longest road tunnel systems in the world. More Information

OHLA awarded the Gjønnes tunnel in Norway for nearly 160 million euros

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen) has awarded the company the design and construction of the Gjønnes tunnel for 156 ... More Information

Utilities tunnel dug through 'challenging' ground conditions under River Tees

Main contractor Farrans Construction worked with specialist contractor Joseph Gallagher to construct the tunnel. During its five weeks of tunnelling ... More Information

China develops world's first boring and blasting machine

In a groundbreaking development, the world's first boring and blasting machine, jointly developed by Tsinghua University and China Railway Science and Industry Group, has successfully ... More Information

Tunnel boring machine wedged in hard rock, leaving Snowy 2.0 hydropower project with new issues

Tunnelling problems are plaguing the $12 billion Snowy 2.0 hydropower project, with a boring machine previously bogged in soft ground now wedged in ... More Information

Construction Complete On New High-Speed Rail Tunnel

Inside the completed Desheng Tunnel, and inset, a Chinese high-speed train. Work on the project is now complete. © China ... More Information

DC Water Breaks Ground on Potomac River Tunnel Project

The Project consists of a large-diameter deep sewer tunnel, diversion facilities, drop shafts, and support structures to capture flows from existing ... More Information