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Brenner Base Tunnel: Construction Outlook for 2026

Construction activity on the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) is set to intensify further in 2026, with several key works advancing simultaneously along the alignment. In the H53 Pfons–Brenner ... More Information

Celebrations for the completion of the main tunnel excavations in Lot H41 Gola del Sill–Pfons

On November 11, a celebration was held at the segment factory of the BBT Gola del Sill–Pfons construction site to mark the completion of the main tunnel excavation works for the Austrian Lot ... More Information

BBT - TBM Lilia Successfully Completes Excavation of the Eastern Main Tunnel

BBT - TBM Lilia Successfully Completes Excavation of the Eastern Main Tunnel

With the breakthrough achieved by TBM Lilia on October 6 at 12:40 p.m. in the municipality of Navis (Wipptal), the eastern main tunnel of construction lot H41 Sill Gorge–Pfons in the BBT ... More Information

BBT - Completed first tunnel between Italy and Austria in Brenner Base Tunnel

BBT - Completed first tunnel between Italy and Austria in Brenner Base Tunnel

First cross-border underground connection in the Brenner Base Tunnel project. Representatives of the European Commission and institutional leaders from Italy and Austria attended the ceremony. ... More Information

First breakthrough with TBM in a main tunnel in Austria for BBT

First breakthrough with TBM in a main tunnel in Austria for BBT

TBM Ida has completed the excavation of the 8.4 km H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons section of the Brenner Base Tunnel, reaching its destination in the municipality of Navis (Wipptal), near an existing ... More Information

Production of segments completed in Ahrental for the Austrian H41 construction site of the Brenner Base Tunnel

Production of segments completed in Ahrental for the Austrian H41 construction site of the Brenner Base Tunnel

On Saturday 19 July, production of the precast concrete segments used by the TBMs for the final lining of the line tunnels were completed at the Ahrental plant located  near the Austrian H41 ... More Information

A new breakthrough in one of the two main tunnels on the Austrian side of the project

A new milestone in the BBT project, on May 20th , a break through was made in the western main tunnel between the two lots H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons and H21 Sill Gorge.  In the western main tunnel ... More Information

Pfons-Brenner construction lot: Breakthrough in the east main tunnel

A new milestone has been reached for the H53 Pfons-Brenner construction lot in the Austrian part of the BBT project, in the geologically challenging area of Hochstegen. On the 08/05/2025 a ... More Information

BBT - TBM Excavation Completed on the Italian Side

BBT - TBM Excavation Completed on the Italian Side

Flavia, the last Italian TBM for the BBT project, has reached the Brenner Pass, completing the excavation of the west main tunnel in lot H61 Mules. This marks the end of mechanized excavation on the ... More Information

TBM Lilia Crosses Werner Fault Zone, Reaches 6 km Milestone on BBT Project

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Lilia has reached a major milestone in the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT), having successfully crossed the Werner fault zone and completed 6 kilometers of ... More Information

First kilometre for Wilma, the Austrian TBM advancing north

First kilometre for Wilma, the Austrian TBM advancing north

While Flavia is only 300 m from its final destination and Ida has already passed the Werner fault zone, the TBM Wilma reached its first kilometre of excavation at 10:40 on Sunday 2 March after ... More Information

BBT - TBM Flavia is getting closer to its goal

The TBM Flavia, length 200 m and weight 2750 t - launched in April 2019 – which has advanced with a driving power of 4200 kW under a rock cover of over 1200 m. The TBM has now completed the ... More Information

BBT - New milestones for TBM Ida

BBT - New milestones for TBM Ida

Since May and June of 2023, the two TBMs Lilia and Ida have been working southwards on the Austrian H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons construction site of the BBT project. The excavation work is being ... More Information

North portal completed for BBT

North portal completed for BBT

As of December 2024, the Sill Gorge construction lot, which houses the north portal of the Brenner Base Tunnel, is officially completed.  There are already numerous infrastructures in the ... More Information

Final Stretch of TBM Flavia’s Journey: Last Kilometre of Excavation in the Western Main Tunnel

TBM Flavia, a colossal tunnel boring machine measuring 200 meters in length, weighing 2,750 tons, and powered by 4,200 kW, is nearing the completion of its excavation journey. Launched in April 2019 ... 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

BBT - Launch of the Wilma and Olga TBMs

The launch of the Wilma and Olga TBMs will take place on Wednesday 18th  September 2024 at the BBT H53 Pfons-Brenner construction site.  The first components of the two TBMs - after ... More Information

TBM Ida completes 4 Km of the westbound tube of the Brenner Base Tunnel, H41 Lot

On 22 July, the TBM Ida celebrated the excavation of the first 4 km - out of its total 8.4 km - of the westbound line tunnel to the south at the Austrian H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge construction site. The ... More Information

June updates for BBT

Press Release - H53 Pfons-Brenner construction site: the first segments reach the construction site The two TBMs Wilma and Olga - which from September 2024 will dig and line the twin tube 7.5km ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel update

Brenner Base Tunnel update

Every year BBT organises an Open Day for the Brenner Base Tunnel project. They take place at the Austrian construction site H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge, and at the construction site of the Eisack ... More Information

BBT - TBM Ida reaches first 3 km of excavation for Lot H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge

On 14 May 2024  the TBM Ida, launched back in June 2023, reached its first 3 km of excavation towards the south, in the West line tunnel, advancing an average of 13 m/day and extracting ... More Information

TBM Wilma is ready for the Brenner Base Tunnel

TBM Wilma is ready for the Brenner Base Tunnel

On 8 march 2024 BBT SE and H53 Consortium consisting of Porr Bau GmbH, Marti GmbH Austria and Marti Tunnel AG Switzerland completed the factory acceptance of Wilma. This will be the first of the two ... More Information

BBT - New milestone for the TBM Ida on the H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge construction site

The TBM Ida in the H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel is continuing its journey through the westbound line tunnel in a southerly direction.  On Sunday, 25 February 2024, ... More Information

BBT - Take part in choosing the names of the two new TBMs for the Brenner Base Tunnel

Until 12 noon today, 22 February, you can participate in the choice of names for the two 160 m long TBMs that will come into operation in autumn 2024 for the excavation of the Austrian Pfons-Brenner ... More Information

BBT - Updates on the Brenner Base Tunnel

Hochstegen: Another construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel is now complete  The Swietelsky Tunnelbau company, which in 2021 secured the EUR102 million contract for the construction ... More Information

BBT - Eisack Underpass work completed

All the main works have been completed at the construction site of lot H71 “Eisack River underpass” of the Brenner Base Tunnel, and subsequently the work completion report has now been ... More Information

BBT - TBM Virginia has reached the border with Austria

On 28/03/2023 an important milestone was reached for the Brenner Base Tunnel, on the Italian side, at the Mules (BZ) construction site.  After 14 km of excavation and almost 4 years of ... More Information

TBM Ida will drive the west main Brenner Base Tunnel

On the 14/02/2023 the official inspection of the second TBM for the H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel took place at Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau (D). The ... More Information

BBT - Segments production started for lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons

The main part of tunnels in lot H41 Gola del Sill-Pfons will be driven by two TBMs. The machines - during their tunnelling - will install the rings, composed of prefabricated concrete ... More Information

TBM Lilia for Brenner Base Tunnel passes acceptance test

TBM Lilia for Brenner Base Tunnel passes acceptance test

The first of the two TBMs for the H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel has formally passed its acceptance test at Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau, Germany. The ... More Information

BBT - excavations begin for lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons

BBT -  excavations begin for lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons

Excavation work has begun on the main tunnel for BBT construction lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons, in Ahrental near Innsbruck. The Austrian Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler the patroness was ... More Information

BBT – Breakthrough in the Brenner Base Tunnel

BBT – Breakthrough in the Brenner Base Tunnel

On the 19/05/2022 at 13h45 an excavator broke through between lot H71 Eisack undercrossing (built by Webuild) and Lot Mules 2-3 (built by Webuild and Ghella), on the Italian side of the East line ... More Information

BBT – Excavation has started at the H52-Hochstegen construction lot in Austria

On 04/05/2022 a ground breaking ceremony was held for Lot H52 Hochstegen in the presence of Maria Lorenzatto, godmother of the tunnel, along with the various authorities and companies involved. The ... More Information

BBT - Breakthrough under Isarco river

BBT - Breakthrough under Isarco river

On 07/04/2022 about a month after the start of the excavation work, the last main tunnel below the Eisack riverbed for the future railway Brenner Base Tunnel has broken through.   A total ... More Information

Progress report for the Brenner Base Tunnel

As of January 2022, 4 main construction lots are under construction: Mules 2-3, Isarco River Underpass (Italian project area); Sill gorge, Sill gorge - Pfons (Austrian project area).  In ... More Information

BBT - Exploratory tunnel excavation completed

On the 24/11/2021 TBM Serena with a diameter of 6.85m, a length of approximately 300m and weight 1,500 t has reached the Brenner Pass. The TBM has excavated over 14 km of tunnel in 3.5 years. The ... More Information

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Tunnelling News

LA Metro approves route of K Line northern extension project to Hollywood

The analysis found that modern tunneling techniques are safe with pre-construction studies, use of advanced tunnel-boring machines, mitigations and ... More Information

Here's when first massive boring machine will start carving tunnel between New York, New Jersey

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A massive tunnel boring machine is preparing to carve a tunnel between New York and New Jersey after President Donald Trump ... More Information

Beyond the horizontal: how a next-generation TBM conquered Pingjiang's inclined shaft

A variable diameter inclined shaft tunnel boring machine has completed a landmark breakthrough on China's Pingjiang pumped storage hydropower ... More Information

CMRL begins tunnelling for Thiruvanmiyur-Indira Nagar section in phase-II metro rail project

Tunnelling through hard rocks in the 650-metre stretch may take nearly six months, officials say ... More Information

AKTOR’s Tunnels on Brașov–Sighișoara Line, among the most complex in Europe

A railway infrastructure project unfolding in the heart of Transylvania has been ranked, according to an independent comparative analysis, among the most complex and ambitious railway ... More Information

Tunnel-boring machines “Victoria” and “Natali”

The tunnel-boring complexes worked in tandem on the Rublyovo-Arkhangelskaya Line. The tunnel-boring machine complexes (TBMs) “Natali” and “Victoria,” ... More Information

Elon Musk's Boring Company plans mile-long tunnel in Dallas connecting to DART station

The Boring Company is developing a proposed mile-long tunnel in Dallas' University Hills that would link a town center to a nearby DART station, ... More Information

Hudson Tunnel Project marks major 2026 construction progress on both sides of the river

Work on the Hudson Tunnel Project in North Bergen is continuing to advance through several major construction steps reached so far this year... More Information

HS2 Ordered to Slash Costs and Construction Time in Major Government Reset

The Transport Secretary has instructed HS2 Ltd to identify options that could cut billions from the project’s cost and bring trains into service sooner, as the government pushes for a ... More Information

SRL East TBMs arrive in Burwood

Two more tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have arrived in Melbourne ready for tunnelling of Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East to start this year. The TBMs ... More Information

$100 Million Allocated for Ft. Laramie Canal Tunnel Project

Laramie Canal Tunnel Project. The Department of the Interior announced the funding Tuesday as part of the $889 million for water infrastructure ... More Information

What are the benefits of using tunnel boring machines in infrastructure projects?

Ask NCE has been updated to Answers 3.0, allowing you to ask civil engineering-focused questions and receive clear, practical responses such as ... More Information

Minsk Metro, together with "Alesya," will start digging with "Mariya."

It was noted on a transport forum that parts of a second tunnel boring machine (TBM) for laying tunnels began to be brought to one of the construction sites of the third metro line... More Information

TBM for Lyon-Turin project unveiled

The first of two tunnel boring machines for the Italian section of the 57.5km Mont Cenis Base Tunnel has been unveiled... More Information

NFR achieves breakthrough in Tunnel No 8 of Sivok–Rangpo railway project

Tunnel No. 8 is one of the major tunnels of the project with a total length of 4.148 km and an additional adit measuring 1.010 km. The excavation and ... More Information

Suburban Rail Loop hits tunnelling milestone as eight TBMs arrive on site

The Suburban Rail Loop has reached a major construction milestone, with eight tunnel boring machines now on site ahead of tunnelling later this year... More Information

$16bn Hudson Tunnel project could pause again 'in two to three months'

Components of the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will be used for the Palisades Tunnel Project arrived at ... More Information

Hinkley Point C | TBM readied for 620m long fish return tunnel

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will excavate the fish return tunnel has been christened Sarah Guppy by local schoolchildren, in tribute to ... More Information

Bhopal Metro's Orange Line Tunnelling Begins

The Bhopal Metro project has recently reached an important milestone as tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been positioned to begin digging work on ... More Information

A Chinese team rescued a $50M tunnel machine stuck 177 feet underground

Chinese engineers have pulled off a stunning rescue, saving a tunnel boring machine (TBM) stuck 177 feet underground beneath the Yangtze River. More Information

Fort Smith named finalist in Elon Musk's Boring Company tunnel challenge

The company selected Fort Smith's proposal from 487 applicants. The company says the winning project will receive construction of a one-mile tunnel ... More Information

Bengaluru: Four infrastructure firms bid for Hebbal short tunnel

Bengaluru infrastructure: Four firms, including Dilip Buildcon and Max Infra, bid for BDA's Rs 1086 crore Hebbal short tunnel project... More Information

TBM readied for Montreal's Blue Line extension

A custom-made 9.7m-diameter tunnel boring machine (TBM) has been assembled and lowered ready to excavate the tube from the future Vertières stop to ... More Information

$11.5B Brenner Base Tunnel Nears End of TBM Excavation

With TBMs Olga and Wilma closing in, the 55-km rail project shifts from excavation to systems integration ahead of its planned 2028 opening beneath ... More Information

$6.75 Billion Unlocked for Turkey's Bosphorus Rail Project

Multiple Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) will need to be mobilized to carve out the subterranean corridors leading up to ... More Information

Tunneling for Nashville's underground Tesla project has begun

The Boring Company said that the first three weeks of the project will consist of the Prufrock-MB1, a machine that will help carve out the tunnel, ... More Information

Hudson Tunnel Project construction resumes

I look forward to celebrating the launch of our tunnel boring machines through the Palisades once GDC has assurance it will receive the steady flow ... More Information

Lower Thames Crossing

British suppliers could meet 90% of low carbon steel requirements. The proposed machine would be 16.4m in diameter, large enough to create a three‑lane tunnel bore, and is intended to dig ... More Information

Inside the Tunnel Boring Machine, Southampton Link Main project

A six-tonne tunnel boring machine is digging deep below the ground in Hampshire to help keep the county's taps and rivers flowing... More Information

TBM maestro inspects sites ahead of massive tunnel drive

The first machine components have arrived for the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to be deployed on the Suburban Connect sites in Melbourne. More Information

Metrolinx provides major updates on subway and LRT projects across the GTA

Tunnel boring is advancing on multiple projects, with Scarborough's TBM ... Metrolinx says “Diggy Scardust,” the project's tunnel boring machine, is now ... More Information

Work in Progress: High-tech TBMs ready to carve underground corridor

The Bhopal Metro Rail Project is transitioning into its most challenging and sophisticated phase as two state-of-the-art Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) ... More Information

Sarens helps extract TBM at BC water supply project

The Annacis Water Supply Tunnel Project aims to increase the reliability and capacity of the water supply system in New Westminster, British Columbia. When complete, the tunnel will ... More Information

Judge rules in favor of New York and New Jersey for now in $16B tunnel fight with Trump

A federal judge ruled Friday to temporarily block the Trump administration from suspending federal disbursements for the Gateway Tunnel Project... More Information

Webuild: award for Sustainability Report for commitment to decarbonise through innovation

This includes the large tunnel-boring machines deployed on some of Europe's most complex projects: from the Salerno-Reggio Calabria ... More Information

Clearwater update reports initial entry area is 'stable and intact'

The tunnel boring machine being used in the project remains trapped underground just ahead of where the breach occurred. The ambitious, $630 ... More Information

Tunnel Boring Machine Market Size estimated at USD 7.08 Billion

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) market is experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing urbanization, infrastructure development, ... More Information

Completing the First Section of Line 3: Tunnel Boring Machine Roars as it Emerges at Balboa

The Panama tunnel boring machine emerged and completed its first major task: the first section of the Line 3 Metro tunnel. More Information

Twin tunnel-boring titans prepare to dig new road under Sydney Harbour

Twin tunnel-boring titans are preparing to launch under Sydney Harbour to dig out a new road crossing from Birchgrove to Waverton... More Information