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

Two new breakthroughs for Mumbai Metro Line 3

Two new breakthroughs for Mumbai Metro Line 3

There have been two new breakthroughs as part of the ongoing Mumbai Metro Line 3 in India.  The 18th breakthrough was TBM Wainganga-1 who broke through at the SEEPZ station after completing ... More Information

16th Australian Tunnelling Conference

16th Australian Tunnelling Conference

We are pleased to announce that the 16th Australian Tunnelling Conference will be held on 14-15 October 2019 at the Aerial UTS Function Centre in Sydney. With a comprehensive, two-day ... More Information

iPS Powerful People acquires a controlling interest in the survey specialized personnel services company Nautech Services

iPS Powerful People acquires a controlling interest in the survey specialized personnel services company Nautech Services

iPS Powerful People and Nautech Services have agreed to intensively collaborate. With this agreement iPS Powerful People will strengthen their position in the Survey and Marine markets, and Nautech ... More Information

EXPO Ferrovia update

EXPO Ferrovia update

If you are attending this show EXPO Ferrovia in Italy today make sure you visit the stands of the companies that were chosen as the winners of the “DITECFER Railway Innovation Leaders ... More Information

Press release - Another milestone as TBM Mabel reaches Sydney

Press release - Another milestone as TBM Mabel reaches Sydney

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Mabel has broken through a wall of rock into the new Victoria Cross Station in North Sydney. Mabel has excavated about 450,000 tonnes of sandstone and shale – ... More Information

Melbourne Metro Update - Joan starts tunnelling!

Melbourne Metro Update - Joan starts tunnelling!

Tunnelling has started this week, with Joan now digging from the North Melbourne Station site towards Kensington as part of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project. TBM Joan is the first to break ... More Information

Cityringen metro line in Copenhagen

Copenhagen’s new metro will be inaugurated on Sunday, September 29th  by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, accompanied by members of the royal family, Danish Prime Minister Mette ... More Information

The Robbins Company Blog

The Robbins Company Blog

3 Ways to Bore More Efficiently in Extremely Hard Rock: Maximize your TBM Advance through Minimized Downtime When the rock seems unbreakable, stresses are multiplied: The cutters must be stronger, ... More Information

Lyon-Turin base tunnel first 9km complete

On September 23rd , 2019 the TBM Federica (diameter 11.26 m, length 125 m, weight 2400 t) built by the French company NFM Technologie , completed the excavation of the first 9 km section between ... More Information

The Brenner Base Tunnel company has new leadership

The Brenner Base Tunnel company has new leadership

Starting on September 18th, 2019 Martin Gradnitzer and Gilberto Cardola will take the helm of the Brenner Base Tunnel cross-border project company  in Austria and Italy, replacing  the ... More Information

Narragansett Bay Commission Receives Federal Loan for Clean Water Project

The Narragansett Bay Commission has received a loan from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s WIFIA (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) Program to the amount of $268.7 ... More Information

Robbins and iPS Webinar – 30th October 2019 - Rescuing and Refurbishing TBMs

Robbins and iPS Webinar  – 30th October 2019 - Rescuing and Refurbishing TBMs

Webinar Summary - Detlef Jordan, Robbins and Barrie Willis, iPS -  TBM maintenance: it’s one of the most important factors predicting project success, but it is often treated ... More Information

Strata Worldwide launches DigitalBRIDGE Plus+

Strata Worldwide launches DigitalBRIDGE Plus+

Strata Worldwide has launched a new leaky feeder solution for underground construction. The DigitalBRIDGE Plus+ delivers powerful, high-speed Ethernet and a full spectrum of VHF radio frequencies ... More Information

And they’re off: Hinkley Point C reaches another key milestone

The Hinkley Point C project has reached another key milestone with the start of tunnelling at the UKs first new nuclear power station in a generation. Work has started to install the 38,000 ... More Information

Grand Paris Express update

Grand Paris Express update

On Saturday 14th September, 2019 at the Braque pit site in Aulnay-sous-Bois the first TBM for the Grand Paris express was christened. The TBM was named Armelle after Armelle Martin who saved a ... More Information

ITA TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE AWARDS - FOUR FINALISTS FOR THE MAJOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR

ITA TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE AWARDS -  FOUR FINALISTS FOR THE MAJOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR

Four finalists have been announced for the major project of the year category which focusses on ‘Managing Urban Expansion’. The awards will be held in Miami, USA from the 18th to the ... More Information

Penang Undersea Tunnel updates

Penang is planning a massive transportation network that includes four highways, an eight-lane highway in the Persiaran Gurney, a light-rail transit (LRT) and an undersea tunnel. The ... More Information

Mapei Underground Technology Team

Mapei Underground Technology Team

Mapei's response to the growing demand from the construction market was to create their Underground Technology Team and product line. The Underground Technology Team (UTT), is dedicated ... More Information

The UK’s newest skills academy finally opens its doors

The UK’s newest skills academy finally opens its doors

 A pioneering civil engineering skills academy unlike anything else in the North East has been officially opened in Hartlepool.   The new skills academy from Seymour Civil ... More Information

Heung Yuen Wai Highway - Hong Kong

Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is proud to have contributed engineering excellence to the Heung Yuen Wai Highway in Hong Kong. The major transport infrastructure project will promote ... More Information

Federal Funding Allocation for BART Silicon Valley Phase II project

Federal Funding Allocation for BART Silicon Valley Phase II project

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) allocated EUR113.15 million (USD125 million) to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) for the Bay ... More Information

Victorian Tunnelling Centre

Victorian Tunnelling Centre

An Australian-first tunnelling training centre will open next year in Oakleigh. The centre will train thousands of local workers to deliver tunnel projects in Victoria - including the Metro ... More Information

ExpoFerroviaria 2019

ExpoFerroviaria 2019

Its less than a month to go before the next edition of EXPO Ferroviaria in Italy. The EXPO will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of October at Rho Fiera in Milan.  The event is for the ... More Information

Forrestfield-Airport Link - TBMs Grace and Sandy completed 70% per cent of tunnelling.

TBM Grace has now tunnelled more than 5.6km and installed more than 3300 rings, on her journey to Bayswater. Grace is now tunnelling in Ascot - underneath the Tonkin Highway road reserve and is ... More Information

Final pieces in place for West Gate TBM

Final pieces in place for West Gate TBM

The final parts of the TBM Bella, the largest in the southern hemisphere have been lifted into place to start digging the West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne. The 450-t cutterhead has been lowered 27 m ... More Information

Another breakthrough for Sydney Metro’s mega borers

Another breakthrough for Sydney Metro’s mega borers

A second mega boring machine has arrived deep under the Sydney central business district at the new Pitt Street metro railway station. Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Mum Shirl started digging from ... More Information

Tunnel Boring Machines in Difficult Grounds 4th International Conference

Tunnel Boring Machines in Difficult Grounds 4th International Conference

The TBM DiGs conference will be held from November 13th  – 15th , 2019 in Golden, Colorado USA. TBM DiGs is an international conference series that provides a specialized technological ... More Information

Bekaert Maccaferri Underground Solutions - Synmix® HP 55

Bekaert Maccaferri Underground Solutions - Synmix® HP 55

WHAT IS SYNMIX® HP?  - Synmix® macro synthetic fibres, from industry specialist Bekaert, have set a new standard for safety reinforcement with their light weight, easy to handle ... More Information

Senior Tunnel Engineer Dominic Reda Presenting at the 12th Annual Breakthroughs in Tunneling Short Course in Denver, Colorado

GALL ZEIDLER Consultants,  Senior Tunnel Engineer Dominic Reda will be presenting at the 12th Annual Breakthroughs in Tunneling Short Course in Denver, Colorado September 9th – 11th . ... More Information

Jinan Yellow River Tunnel Project

In September, 2019 China started the shield excavation of the Jinan Yellow River Tunnel, known as the "first” tunnel of the Wanli Yellow River according to the China Railway Construction ... More Information

Press release - Small Robbins Double Shield makes a Monumental Achievement

Press release -   Small Robbins Double Shield makes a Monumental Achievement

Compact TBM bores longest Rock Tunnel at 2.46 m Diameter In August 2019, a small diameter Double Shield TBM made a big impact. The 2.46 m (8.07 ft) diameter Robbins machine completed 3,475 m ... More Information

North East Link public hearing update

The Public Hearing for the North East Link Environment Effects Statement (EES) which began on the 25th July will reach its conclusion in mid – September 2019. Any individual and any groups ... More Information

Strengthened Financial Plan for Hudson Tunnel Project Trims USD1.4 Billion

Strengthened Financial Plan for Hudson Tunnel Project Trims USD1.4 Billion

In June 2019 the Gateway Development Commission became a bi-state organization, with new authority and ability to receive the federal grants and loans necessary to deliver the Gateway Program of ... More Information

Line 4 Metro Bucharest - Preliminary design update

Line 4 Metro Bucharest - Preliminary design update

The Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design  for the Lac Straulesti – Gara Progresu Metro Line 4/Green Line extension in Bucharest has been completed. Metrorex the operator of the ... More Information

ICE learning programme gains US accreditation

ICE is pleased to announce its first learning programme which has been accredited for US Professional Development Hours (PDH).   This programme, located on the ICE Learning Hub, has been ... More Information

Albvorlandtunnel: TBM Sibylle arrives in Wendlingen

Albvorlandtunnel: TBM Sibylle arrives in Wendlingen

On August 11th 2019 TBM Sibylle the first of two TBMs involved in the construction of the Albvorland tunnel, completed  7,700 m of the northern tube  after only 18 months. The Albvorland ... More Information

Tunnelling News

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

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