Tunnelbuilder Promoting the world's tunnelling industry to a huge qualified audience

View the Spanish Tunnelbuilder website View the Italian Tunnelbuilder website

Archive - News

Featured News

MoU signed for Belgrade metro

On 18.11.2011 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the city of Belgrade and Alstom Transport South Europe for construction of a new EUR1billion public rail transport system. A 15-month preliminary study by Egis Rails will determine the full technical and operational features of a 15 km line (L1) with 4.5 km underground and 25 stations. Located on the southern bank of the Danube, the Y shaped line will connect the central districts of the city, linking Ustanicka-Novi Merkator to Tvornicka on one branch, to Zelesnicka Stanica Novi Beograd on the other. More Information

Normet concrete sprayer debuts in Mexico

Normet concrete sprayer debuts in MexicoNormet introduced its new Alpha series diesel hydraulic mobile concrete sprayer, the Semmco Alpha 30, at the recent CIM mining convention in Acapulco, Mexico. ... More Information

Final breakthrough for T-Connection in Norway

Final breakthrough for T-Connection in NorwayOn 13.10.2011 final breakthrough for the 9 km-long undersea tunnel of Norway's T-Connection was safely achieved by contractor AF Gruppen AS. The project, ... More Information

Italian breakthroughs

Italian breakthroughsOn 24.10.2011 breakthrough was achieved on the north tube of the Collemaggio tunnel, located between km9.244 and km10.036 on the SS318. Two days later, another tunnel holed out ... More Information

Middle East Tunnelling 2011

Middle East Tunnelling 2011This event takes place at Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha, Qatar on 12-14th December, 2011. The region is home to some of the most significant and innovative tunnelling projects ... More Information

Robbins EPB starts Baku metro drive

Robbins EPB starts Baku metro driveA 6.3 m-diameter Robbins EPB has commenced boring the Baku metro in Azerbaijan. Together with another similar EPB, the machine will bore parallel 3.5 km-long ... More Information

Higher costs for Blanka tunnel in Prague

Higher costs for Blanka tunnel in PragueSaturday 15.10.2011 was open day at Blanka road tunnel, part of the northwest section of the Prague ring road in the Czech Republic. The construction cost is ... More Information

Middle East Tunnelling 2011

Middle East Tunnelling 2011The MEED Middle East tunnelling conference takes place in Doha, Qatar on 12-14th December, 2011. It will provide attendees with the latest information on tunnelling ... More Information

Minova acquires SDA business

Minova acquires SDA businessMinova, part of Australian group Orica, has acquired the self drilling anchor business from Atlas Copco MAI of Feistriz, Austria. Minova International is the world's ... More Information

Amsterdam-Almere metro feasibility studies

Amsterdam-Almere metro feasibility studiesThree selected consortia have completed technical and economic feasibility studies for the prposed direct metro link between Amsterdam and Almere across the ... More Information

ZED gets prestigious achievement award

ZED gets prestigious achievement awardZED Tunnel Guidance Ltd has received the Queen's Award for International Trade. The award follows the company's outstanding achievement in international trade, ... More Information

Sluiskil tunnel construction started

Sluiskil tunnel construction startedOn 05.10.2011, after a period of preparatory work, construction of the east adit of the 1,330 m-long twin tube Sluiskil tunnel under the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal in ... More Information

Breakthrough in SS77 Belfiore tunnel

Breakthrough in SS77 Belfiore tunnelOn 26.09.2011 breakthrough was achieved on the South carriageway of the 1,101 m-long Belfiore tunnel on the SS77 Val di Chienti. For more click here and it/116. ... More Information

Road tunnels manual

Road tunnels manualThe 24th World Road Congress took place in Mexico from 27.09.2011 to 30.09.2011. During the congress, the new road tunnels manual was installed online in English and French. The ... More Information

Sandvik rigs winning in Rio de Janeiro

Sandvik rigs winning in Rio de JaneiroMain contractor Odebrecht is upgrading 25 km of main highway between Barra and Santa Cruz in the southern suburbs of Rio, including construction of the 1.1 ... More Information

Robbins at AFTES International Congress in Lyon

Robbins at AFTES International Congress in LyonFind out more about high cover tunnelling at Robbins' technical session on Wednesday, 19th October at the AFTES Congress in Lyon, France. Paper title: ... More Information

VMT opens branch office in US

VMT opens branch office in USThe current dramatic growth in the US tunnelling industry has resulted in VMT opening an office in Sumner, WA to service its clients more effectively. The new facility ... More Information

Contitech commitment to sustainability

Contitech commitment to sustainabilityContitech division of Continental is a leader in rubber technical elastomer products and plastics technology. The company has introduced its sustainability ... More Information

Montcada EPB completes its task

Montcada EPB completes its taskOn 28.09.2011, 11.7 m-diameter Herrenknecht EPB Montcada reached the exit shaft after a 3,017 m drive north-south at up to 50 m depth. Its 105 m-long back-up installed ... More Information

tunnelbuilder readership hits new highs

tunnelbuilder readership hits new highsSeptember was a good month for tunnelbuilder.com, with a weekday readership high of 1,586/day and a weekend high of 983/day. Daily average was 956, which rolls ... More Information

Thames tunnels to be bored by Herrenknecht TBMs

Thames tunnels to be bored by Herrenknecht TBMsHochtief/Murphy JV will use two Herrenknecht slurry TBMs to drive the 2 x 2.6 km-long x 6 m-diameter Crossrail Thames tunnels. This brings to eight the ... More Information

Cut/cover tunnel on the SS36 at Monza in Italy

Cut/cover tunnel on the SS36 at Monza in ItalyThe link road under construction between the SS36 and the Milan motorway network crosses the municipalities of Monza and Cinisello Balsamo, through ... More Information

Austunnel Partnering Success

Austunnel Partnering SuccessAustunnel supplies professional tunnelling personnel such as supervisors, TBM fitters/mechanics, electricians, PLC electricians, boilermaker/welders and TBM pilots. ... More Information

Tunnel design and construction

Tunnel design and constructionThe latest conference in the series takes place on 16-18 November, 2011 in Amsterdam. For full details of speakers visit Tunnel Design & Construction Europe. 39/11. More Information

South Tyrol Castelbello ring road decision

South Tyrol Castelbello ring road decision The competition for the construction of the 3 km-long Castelbello and Colsano ring on the SS 38 has been decided, and funds will be allocated in 2012. The ... More Information

Fire protection and safety in tunnels

Fire protection and safety in tunnelsThird annual international conference takes place October 11-12, 2011 in Salzburg, Austria. More from www.arena-international.com/fpst2011/index.html. 38/11. More Information

Going underground at IUT

Going underground at IUTThis week sees the sixth international underground and tunnel fair IUT taking place in the Hagerbach Test Gallery (VSH) near Sargans, Switzerland from 14-15 September. The ... More Information

Normet teams up with QME

Normet teams up with QMENormet and QME, a mining equipment company based in Ireland, have signed an agreement to develop their cooperation and service activities. QME, who have a long history in ... More Information

First TBM EPB ready for delivery to Panama metro

First TBM EPB ready for delivery to Panama metroPanama City's first metro line will involve the construction of a 6.4 km-long tunnel using two Herrenknecht 9,730 mm-diameter EPBs. The machines have ... More Information

Marble Road to open in 2012

Marble Road to open in 2012The Marble Road from Aurelia to Miseglia Bassa is complete except for the truck weighing and washing facility between Miseglia and Canaglie. Lot 1 Miseglia, including the ... More Information

Florence high speed rail tunnel schedule

Florence high speed rail tunnel schedule TBM Monnalisa, 9.364 m-diameter and 200 m-long, commissioned to Seli from the JV Coopsette/consortium Ergon Engineering and Contracting for the high speed ... More Information

Brazil high speed railway studies

Brazil high speed railway studiesBrazil's first 350 km/h high speed railway will run between Campinas, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with airport statons at Viracopos, Guarulhos and Galeao. Total ... More Information

Putzmeister sets record at Lainzer

Putzmeister sets record at LainzerThe 12.3 km-long Lainzer tunnel in Vienna will connect the western and southern railway systems and the Donauldebahn railway, increasing capacity, and forming a ... More Information

Senior mechanical engineer vacancy

Senior mechanical engineer vacancyA client of iPS, the international personnel consultant, is seeking a senior mechanical engineer for planning and operation of large-scale projects. Duties ... More Information

Grand St Bernard safety tunnel

Grand St Bernard safety tunnelOn 31.07.2011 Lovat TBM Isabelle completed 2.9 km of the 5.8 km-long emergency tube of the Grand St Bernard tunnel. Construction of the 23 drill/blast cross passages at ... More Information

Breakthrough for Bavareto tunnel on SS 77

Breakthrough for Bavareto tunnel on SS 77On 03.08.2011 breakthrough of the southbound 1,661 m-long tube of SS 77 Bavareto road tunnel was achieved in Serravalle di Chienti municipality, Val di ... More Information

Tunnelling News

4000-tonne machines dig arterial route under Melbourne's west

The West Gate Tunnel Project is in full swing beneath Melbourne's inner west, with tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Bella and Vida at the helm... More Information

Gotthard drilling machine gets no further - now it has to be blown up

Forced break in the Gotthard road tunnel: After 190 meters, the drilling machine working on the second tube has come to an end for the time being... More Information

Construction begins on 6 Cross Island Line Phase 2 stations

Tunnel Boring Machine measuring 12.8m in diameter. The machine will “bore through the ground only once for the construction of the tunnel which ... More Information

Tunnel boring machine returns after installing $22 million outfall

A 19.5 tonne tunnel-boring machine docked at Onehunga Wharf on Friday afternoon after successfully tunnelling the $22m Clarks Beach Outfall over ... More Information

Scarborough Subway Extension tunnelling progresses following maintenance stop

The remaining portion of the tunnel will be delivered by Scarborough Transit Connect, the development partner for the project's stations, rail and ... More Information

World's Deepest Underwater Tunnel to Have Cars Drive 16 Miles Under the Sea

Norway is building what is to become the longest and deepest road tunnel under the sea. The Rogfast project, measuring 26.7 kilometers (about 16.5 ... More Information

Tunnelling underway for National Grid’s 3.4km power tunnel in Snowdonia

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) Buddug has commenced excavation of National Grid’s 3.4km power tunnel in Wales’ Eryri National Park, otherwise known as Snowdonia. The tunnel is part of ... More Information

CPK signs contract for construction of HSR tunnel in Łódź

The contract for the construction of a 4.6 km long, 14-metre wide High-Speed Rail (HSR) tunnel will be carried out by construction company PORR. The project is valued at approximately PLN ... More Information

Underneath the busy Baltimore streets, the Howard Street Tunnel gets its makeover

A squad of construction workers descend daily under the streets of Baltimore. They labour deep down, in the semi-secret and highly restricted ... More Information

London Power Tunnels Milestone

We're thrilled to announce that our second 2.5km high-voltage circuit between Hurst and Crayford is now live. This £1 billion project is rewiring London, strengthening energy supply, and ... More Information

U.S. Tunneling Professionals Convene in Dallas at RETC 2025

The event drew approximately 1,400 people. Another highlight of the conference was the presentation of the now annual Underground Construction ... More Information

Construction of NY and NJ GatewayTunnel hits halfway mark

People are looking down at the ground from the Highline on Manhattan's West Side. Some parts of the new train tunnel structure ... More Information

Silicon Valley BART extension seeks new tunneling contractor

Silicon Valley BART extension seeks new tunneling contractor for construction. Maguire told reporters during a briefing Monday morning. He noted that VTA is trying to fill a $1.2 billion ... More Information

Tunneling In The Digital Age: Rethinking Subsurface Infrastructure

But successful construction is just the start of the journey. Underground infrastructure is a long-term investment—just look at the London Underground ... More Information

Sydney Moves Forward with Final Tunnelling for Harbour Project

Sydney prepares for the arrival of the largest TBMs in the Southern Hemisphere as the Western Harbour Tunnel project enters its final tunnelling ... More Information

Metrolinx seeks help to name 2 of its massive Ontario Line tunnel digging machines

Metrolinx is now accepting names for two of its giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs), which will be used for twin 16-metre-deep and six-kilometre-long ... More Information

Deutsche Bahn awards contract for Munich S-Bahn project

The contract involves structural works for the expansion, including the construction of tunnels and an underground station. The Tunnel Ostbahnhof JV, ... More Information

Excavation completed on Italian side of Brenner Base Tunnel

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) named “Flavia” successfully bored through the Alps beneath the Mules 2–3 section, reaching the Austrian border. More Information

Giant tunnel borer set for Shantou Bay project

A giant tunnel boring machine has been installed for tunnelling under Shantou Bay in Shantou, South China's Guangdong province. [Photo provided to ... More Information

€0.4bn road and tunnel project in Georgia

Work is proceeding on the Kvesheti-Kobi road and tunnel scheme in Georgia. The scheme is part of a larger project, being carried out with Chinese ... More Information

Lahore to transform with Rs49 billion tunnel boring project

Pakistan, April 27 -- The federal government has approved Lahore's Rs49 billion Tunnel Boring Project, marking a major development for the city... More Information

Construction at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

The 2,100-foot-long tunnel connects the terminal to parking facilities and the tramway leading to the RTA public rail line. During the project, two of ... More Information

AFFHOLDER AND J.F. SHEA TEAM UP ON $700 MILLION CONTRACT

The tunneling subsidiary, Affholder LLC, will lead a joint venture with J.F. Shea Construction, Inc., to build the I-35 Capital Express Central ... More Information

Factory Testing Complete on DC Water's first tunnel boring machine for the Potomac River

Mary passed all the necessary requirements and is one of two TBM's on the project. The tunnel is part of DC Water's Clean Rivers Project, to ... More Information

Work on Chennai Metro tunnel racing to a finish

The machine Flamingo, which started boring in 2023 for the tunnel linking Light House with Thirumayilai, is expected to reach the other end in ... More Information

CPK awards contract to build high-speed rail tunnel in Lodz, Poland

The tunnel, to be constructed using a tunnel boring machine (TBM), will have a ... More Information

Inside HS2: Meet London's miners working on the Northolt tunnels

We are on a tunnel boring machine (TBM) inside High Speed Two's huge Northolt tunnels. These tunnel boring machines are part of a tunnelling ... More Information

Ontario Begins Construction Of Last Tunnel Segment Of The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension

The remaining eastern portion of tunnel construction (500-meter twin tunnels) will use the sequential excavation method, with daily progress of ... More Information

Norway is building the world's longest and deepest subsea road beneath its fjords

We have subsea road tunnels which have that construction. And the new tunnel between Germany and Denmark, there they are laying down cases and put ... More Information

CERN releases report on the feasibility of a possible Future Circular Collider

The estimated cost of construction of the FCC electron–positron stage, including the tunnel and all the infrastructure, is 15 billion Swiss francs... More Information

TBM break through on Auckland's £915M wastewater megaproject completes 16.2km tunnel

Auckland's major wastewater infrastructure project, the Central Interceptor, has reached a significant milestone with the final breakthrough of ... More Information

In pics: construction site of Chongming-Taicang tunnel

A smart assembling vehicle works at "Linghang" large diameter shield tunneling machine at the construction site of the Chongming-Taicang tunnel, part of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu ... More Information

IN PICTURES: Spectacular images of the removal of HS2's huge tunnelling machine

TBM Sushila was used to construct part of the Northolt Tunnel – an 8.4-mile tunnel ... construction/london-tunnels/progress-3/northolt-tunnel/tbm- ... More Information

Historic tunnels uncovered beneath Salisbury station during £5.3M upgrade project

Engineers from Network Rail and South Western Railway have uncovered a network of tunnels and rooms beneath Salisbury station during ongoing £5.3M upgrades to the station’s forecourt... More Information

Massive $450m road project connecting Russia and Georgia with six bridges & five tunnels

Massive $450m road project connecting Russia and Georgia with six bridges & five tunnels. The new road will pass through Georgia along a trade route ... More Information

Buca Metro Tunnel Excavations Reached 50 Percent Level

Important progress is being made in the construction of the line, where four tunnel boring machines (TBMs), each 100 meters long, 7 meters wide and ... More Information

'Very promising' narrow-reef boring technology nearing rollout stage

A novel tunnel boring machine (TBM) will open up Bokoni's narrow tabular dipping PGM orebody to allow narrow-reef boring to take place, so that ... More Information

A vast undersea tunnel is being built

The 7.4 billion-euro ($7.7 billion) project is a huge undertaking, in every sense. Each section of the tunnel is colossal. These concrete structures ... More Information

National Grid gets planning permission for Grain to Tilbury upgrade with new Thames tunnel

National Grid has secured full planning approval for the Grain to Tilbury project, which includes a new power tunnel under the River Thames... More Information