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Italian tunnel upgrades announced

Italian tunnel upgrades announced Autostrade per l'Italia Spa has announced the awards of contracts to upgrade installations in 50 tunnels on the A1 and A7 motorways out of Milano. Medi Impianti ... More Information

North American update

North American updateThe proposed replacement of the Alaskan Way viaduct in downtown Seattle with a 3.2 km-long bored double-deck road tunnel is symptomatic of the current trend in North America to ... More Information

Work starts in Laives tunnel

Work starts in Laives tunnelWork started on 10.02.2009 at the northern portal of the new 2,882 m-long, Laives tunnel in Trentino Alto Adige, Italy, which is part of the ring road between Bronzolo ... More Information

Robbins TBM designed to reduce diameter

Robbins TBM designed to reduce diameterThe Robbins main beam TBM employed at Akkoy II hydro project in northeast Turkey will bore a 6.7 km-long headrace at 4.8 m-diameter before downsizing to 4.0 ... More Information

New BASF excluder grease for TBMs

New BASF excluder grease for TBMsBASF Construction Chemicals has set up a dedicated production plant for main bearing sealing greases for the current generation of large, fast TBMs. Read the full ... More Information

Herrenknecht threesome for Mexico City

Herrenknecht threesome for Mexico CityHerrenknecht is providing three EPBs for the Mexico City Eastern Wastewater Tunnel, which will have a total length of 60 km at depths of up to 200 m. The first ... More Information

North American update

North American updateThe proposed replacement of the Alaskan Way viaduct in downtown Seattle with a 3.2 km-long bored double-deck road tunnel is symptomatic of the current trend in North America to ... More Information

Almaty metro line 1 to open in 2009

Almaty metro line 1 to open in 2009Line 1 of Almaty metro in Kazakhstan has been a long time coming. Started in 1988, some 7 km of tunnel were bored, only to be abandoned when cash ran out. A new ... More Information

Martin Herrenknecht becomes first European Mole

Martin Herrenknecht becomes first European MoleThe Moles Award 2009 has gone to Dr Martin Herrenknecht for his extraordinary service to the heavy construction industry, and in particular for his ... More Information

Update your shows diary with tunnelbuilder!

Update your shows diary with tunnelbuilder!Our Professional Tunnellers Diary, accessed through the front page button above, is continuously updated. Right now you will find contact details for 28 ... More Information

SELI success in southeast Europe

SELI success in southeast EuropeItalian contractor SELI has been active in Turkey and Greece, with TBMs in the ground in both countries.In December 2008, SELI commissioned to ILCI the new 4.88 ... More Information

Thermal Ceramics wins Bjorvika fireproofing contract

Thermal Ceramics wins Bjorvika fireproof lining contractSome 675 m of the centre section of Bjorvika tunnel comprises six immersed tube elements containing three traffic lanes in each direction. ... More Information

Recession lessons (9)

Recession lessons (9)"After 21 years of experience in the design, production and commissioning of high-tech equipment, the expertise and know-how of our teams is recognized both on the national and ... More Information

Shenzhen metro line 3 progress

Shenzhen metro line 3 progressA trio of NFM Technologies 6.28 m-diameter EPBs has begun excavation of metro line 3 tunnels in Shenzhen, China. The first machine got underway on 14.10.2008 driving ... More Information

Robit Rocktools lead the way!

Robit Rocktools lead the way!We are particularly pleased to announce that Robit Rocktools of Finland is our first new client for 2009. For around 25 years, Robit has been providing high quality rock ... More Information

Recession lessons (8)

Recession lessons (8)"Despondency and constant negativism, attitudes which unfortunately abound today, are not recipes which are of much use to us in the future. Providing young and ambitious junior ... More Information

Marioff milestones

Marioff milestonesFrom its base in Vantaa, Finland Marioff produces its innovative HI-FOG® water mist fire protection systems for use in every corner of the Earth. Each system is tailored to the ... More Information

Update on Australia and New Zealand

Update on Australia and New ZealandAmongst major projects completed by end-2008 in Australia are the Gold Coast desalination plant with 2 x 3.4 m x 1.5 km outfalls bored by 2 off Herrenknecht TBMs ... More Information

Thermal Ceramics wins Bjorvika fireproof lining contract

Thermal Ceramics wins Bjorvika fireproof lining contractThe tender for fire protection at Bjorvika road tunnel in Oslo, see tunnelbuilder archive no/56, has been awarded to IFS, the official ... More Information

Update on Australia and New Zealand

Update on Australia and New ZealandThe Brisbane Airport Link feasibility study has been completed, and a jv of Thiess, John Holland, Macquarie has been selected as preferred contractor. And the ... More Information

Poyry awarded Polish railway engineering contracts

Poyry awarded Polish railway engineering contractsPöyry has been awarded a EUR8.9 million engineering contract by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA for detail design and tender documentation for the ... More Information

Recession lessons (7)

Recession lessons (7)Don't be fooled by imitators! There is only one tunnelbuilder, and the only way to benefit from our 2,000+ readers/day is to promote your company at our websites. That way, ... More Information

Recession lessons (6)

Recession lessons (6)"We need to remake the banking system to better reflect the needs of business. They cannot simply go back to a reliance on mortgage lending." Edmund Phelps, Columbia University, ... More Information

STEC launches its own large-diameter slurry shield

STEC launches its own large-diameter slurry shieldShanghai Tunnel Engineering Company (STEC) has announced the launch on 26.12.2008 of its in-house designed and built 11.22 m-diameter slurry shield. ... More Information

Ganzstein closes Semmering gap

Ganzstein closes Semmering gapCompletion of the second 2.1 km-long tube at Ganzstein on the S6 Semmering Expressway will provide the final link on the motorway route between Lower Austria and ... More Information

Happy New Year for 2009!

Happy New Year for 2009!When we look back on 2008, we can be thankful that we work in the tunnelling industry, possibly the only part of the construction sector that is still largely intact. The ... More Information

Mont Sion tunnel opens to traffic

Mont Sion tunnel opens to trafficThe north stretch of the A41 highway between Villy-le-Pelloux/Saint-Martin-Bellevue and Saint-Julien-en-Genevois in the Upper Savoy region of the French Alps, ... More Information

VMT consolidates success in China

VMT consolidates success in ChinaHaving operated in China since 2006 as a service company supporting its TBM guidance systems, VMT has now achieved the official status of a Trading Company. So, ... More Information

Palazzoli seeks commercial partner for Norway

Palazzoli seeks commercial partner for NorwayPalazzoli, a leading European industrial electrical equipment manufacturer with increasing activity in road and railway tunnels, is seeking a ... More Information

California high speed rail programme management

California high speed rail programme managementThe proposed USD40 billion (US$1 = EUR0.72), 1,290 km-long California high speed rail system will serve San Franciso, Los Angeles and San Diego, with ... More Information

Recession lessons (5)

Recession lessons (5)"Just because we have a US$15 billion (US$1 = EUR0.72) budget deficit does not mean we should not have a high speed rail system. California should show leadership, and show the ... More Information

Halfway to Pinglu

Halfway to PingluAlpine Bau, a subsidiary of Spanish construction giant FCC, has reported that its Robbins hard rock double shield TBM excavating a EUR47 million section of the north main line of ... More Information

Engineering firms wanted

Engineering firms wantedArup, a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants is looking to source small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and black and minority ethnic ... More Information

Oraki diversion going well for Lovat

Oraki diversion going well for LovatContractor McConnel-Dowell has reported good progress on the 2.9 km-long Oraki Main Sewer Hobson Diversion project in Auckland, New Zealand where its Lovat TBM ... More Information

Recession lessons (4)

Recession lessons (4)"I am particularly proud to announce the adoption by the European Commission today of these 11 funding decisions totalling EUR1.7 billion. They will greatly contribute to making ... More Information

Underground Construction 2010 Prague

Underground Construction 2010 PragueConference Transport and City Tunnels co-organized by Slovak Tunnelling Association and Czech Tunnelling Association scheduled to take place from 14.06.2010 to ... More Information

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Tunnelling News

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

Monica Breaks Ground on Snowy 2.0

Monica the tunnel boring machine, with the renewable energy mega-project now more. TBM Monica is among the world's most advanced tunnel boring machines... More Information

Snowy 2.0 sets new tunnel boring machine to work, completes 46 underground concrete pours

Snowy 2.0 has set to work a fourth tunnel boring machine, a $75 million piece of drilling equipment purpose built to complete excavation of the huge pumped hydro project’s “geologically ... More Information

World's 'largest' underground assembly of tunnelling machines happening beneath Sydney

Workers are craning into place about 167 major pieces that will form the first of two giant boring machines. Once assembled like giant Meccano sets, ... More Information

Tunneling Begins on Major Water Pipeline for South Hillsborough

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Water has begun construction on a major underground pipeline project aimed at meeting rising water demand in southern Hillsborough County, where population growth ... More Information

The massive £3billion tunnel designed to connect two continents under the sea

The construction of a huge underwater multi-tiered tunnel is underway in Turkey, that will create a direct route from Asia to Europe - and is expected to carry 1.3 million passengers a ... More Information

Riederwald Tunnel in Frankfurt is further delayed

Traffic was supposed to start flowing through the controversial Riederwald Tunnel in Frankfurt in 2033. But that's unlikely to happen. The €1.5 billion project is facing further delays – ... More Information

What happens to our metro tunnel boring machines when they hit the end of the line?

These mechanical behemoths were Betty and Dorothy, the tunnel boring machines tasked with digging the Sydney Metro West tunnels. Loading. The ... More Information

The incredible £2.8bn underwater tunnel connecting Europe and Asia

A huge new tunnel will connect Europe and Asia - and construction has already started. The Great Istanbul Tunnel is a major project. It will carry ... More Information

China develops "smart brain" for tunnel boring machines to boost underground construction

A team from Hunan University in central China has collaboratively developed an intelligent operating system for tunnel boring machines, giving these massive underground giants a "smart ... More Information

How China rescued highway project under Yangtze River

The incident occurred in February 2023 during construction of the 6.4-kilometer Jiangyin–Jingjiang Yangtze River Tunnel. Midway through excavation, at ... More Information

HS2 final tunnel drive to Euston starts next week

A team from SCS will drive a 4.5-mile twin-bore tunnel linking Old Oak Common to Euston using two tunnel boring machines, Karen and Madeleine. More Information

Work begins on £48M Knutsford sewer upgrade featuring 1.8km stormwater tunnel

Sean Reid, United Utilities county business lead for wastewater in Cheshire said: “This project highlights our ongoing commitment to improving water ... More Information

$14.6M boost moves Gering–Fort Laramie Canal Tunnel project forward

After nearly six years of planning, construction is moving forward on the Gering–Fort Laramie Canal tunnels... More Information

Webuild: second breakthrough at Trebisacce Tunnel along Jonica State Road 106

Project will help transform Jonica State Road 106 into a strategic corridor linking Ionian coasts of Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia... More Information

Ground preparation for Lower Thames Crossing tunnelling

Work is ongoing to overcome sub-optimal ground conditions in preparation for the start of tunnelling on the Lower Thames Crossing in late 2028, according to the project’s tunnels director... More Information

LA Metro approves massive $25B underground rail line to bypass 405 Freeway

The LA Metro Board unanimously approved an underground heavy rail line to connect the San Fernando Valley and the Westside, bypassing the congested 405 Freeway. The nearly 13-mile route, ... More Information

TUNNEL VISION Mega £7.4bn undersea tunnel connecting two CONTINENTS just got one step closer

A MAJOR £7.4 billion underwater tunnel connecting two continents has taken a step closer to construction. Experts have said the 24-mile tunnel is “technically viable”, paving the way for ... More Information

TBM breakthrough in Sydney

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Jane Starkey successfully completed her 1.2km underground journey through challenging Sydney sandstone... More Information

Hochul announces $25 million for Harlem crosstown subway tunnel design

At E. 120th St., a pair of tunnel-boring machines — currently under construction in Germany — will bore new, 8,400-foot tunnels north from the end ... More Information

Tunnelling under the Yarra River

Our two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) will soon be travelling underneath the Yarra River... Approximately 300 metres of the 6.5 kilometre North East Link will be under the Yarra ... More Information

The Boring Company says its tunneling machine is 'ready to mine in Nashville'

The Music City Loop project is aimed at transporting people from Nashville International Airport to Lower Broadway in roughly 10 minutes. By Li ... More Information

Norway Is Building the World's Longest and Deepest Tunnel Beneath the Sea

The Rogfast project, short for Rogaland Fixed Link, is an underwater road tunnel being built beneath Norway's fjords as part of the E39 coastal ... More Information

Future engineers become 'TBM Captains' for Suburban Rail Loop

Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will begin work this year. The tour of the eastern tunnel entrance was part of a long-term initiative, with ... More Information

Image gallery: Civil works completed on HS2's longest tunnel

Main construction on the Buckinghamshire structure began in May 2021 with the launch of two 2,000-tonne tunnel boring machines (TBMs), named Florence ... More Information

The Boring Company Launches Free Tunnel Contest: AI Applications for Smart Infrastructure

According to Sawyer Merritt on Twitter, The Boring Company has announced a contest to build a one-mile tunnel for free, inviting proposals for ... More Information

Out of sight: spectacular HS2 tunnels offer glimmer of hope for stalling project

Despite much soul-searching over UK’s inability to build infrastructure, two sections of HS2 under Chilterns are being hailed for their engineering... More Information

HS2 January 2026 update

We’re making progress building the main infrastructure for the new line. We’ve completed 80% of tunnelling and are working on major bridges, viaducts and embankments, and HS2’s new ... More Information

Implenia Secures EUR 350 Mln Projects For Bridges, Tunnel Works In Germany

Tunnel to join motorway sections and connecting roads. The Swiss construction and real estate company said the Peene Bridge project in Wolgast, ... More Information