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

Owning a TBM

Owning a TBM

Cost of ownership of a TBM is a complex subject, whether specifying a machine for a single job or to span a generation of projects. Experience will give the best insight, and a complimentary Robbins ... More Information

Putzmeister success story

Germany-based machine manufacturer Putzmeister has announced a 10 percent increase in business volume for 2014 with sales of EUR691.2 worldwide. Read the press release and visit www.putzmeister.com. ... More Information

Jacon at Waterview, NZ

Jacon at Waterview, NZ

The 2.4 km-long Waterview Connection in Auckland, New Zealand will connect two existing motorways. It is being driven by TBM, supplied around the clock by Jacon MSVs, each carrying a complete 90 t ... More Information

Normet beefs up in A-P

Normet beefs up in A-P

Normet has strengthened both its Australian and Asia-Pacific regional operations with the appointment of Neil Fitzmaurice as managing director and John Gelson as his manager of ground control and ... More Information

Blue Plains holing

In early July, 2015 Herrenknecht TBM Lady Bird completed the 7.24 km-long Blue Plains Tunnel that will be used to help improve the water quality in the Anacostia River in Washington DC, US. Blue ... More Information

EuroTAP 2015 reports

The results of EuroTAP tests overseen by the German Automobile Club, ADAC, together with its partner clubs: ACI in Italy, OEAMTC in Austria, and TCS in Switzerland have been published. The 2015 ... More Information

Jaime Ibarra joins Normet in North America

Jaime Ibarra joins Normet in North America

Jaime Ibarra is the new TBM Technical Manager – Americas in Normet. He’ll lead Normet’s North and Latin American teams into the fast growing market of TBM related construction ... More Information

Robbins at Moscow metro

Robbins at Moscow metro

On 15.07.2015 Robbins EPB Elena completed excavation of the 1,710 m-long left-hand tunnel for the Moscow Metro Second Circle line (Third Interchange Circuit) and arrived in the future 65 m-deep ... More Information

SR99 schedule revision

SR99 schedule revision

Seattle Tunnel Partners has begun installing a new main bearing on the SR 99 TBM with a view to restarting tunnelling next November. Tunnelling will take a year to complete, with the tunnel now ... More Information

Northgate Link TBMs advance

In Seattle, US, TBM Pamela has arrived at Roosevelt Station and TBM Brenda is expected at U District Station in early-Autumn. On 13.07.2015  the Robbins EPBM Pamela arrived at the ... More Information

Midtown tunnel connection

Midtown tunnel connection

On 14.07.2015 the last tunnel element of the new Midtown Tunnel connecting the shorelines of Portsmouth and Norfolk was immersed. The design-build contractor, SKW Constructors (a joint venture of ... More Information

Terratec raise borer for China

Terratec raise borer for China

Terratec has successfully completed the factory testing and delivery of a new TR3000 Raise Boring Machine. The destination of the machine is in the Chinese Province of Yunnan, where the main mineral ... More Information

Patnitop holes out

On 13.07.2015 the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) achieved an important milestone with the breakthrough of the 9 km-long Patnitop tunnel between Chenani and Nashri in the State of Jammu ... More Information

Bekaert Maccaferri now sponsors tunnelbuilder

Bekaert Maccaferri Underground Solutions, a newly created joint venture, has taken up sponsorship of tunnelbuilder.com to promote their smart reinforcement solutions for underground ... More Information

Riyadh metro start

Riyadh metro start

On 08.07.2015 the TBM Jazlah (diameter 10 m, weight 700 t) started driving the 5.8 km-long tunnel of the 41.2 km Orange Line of the Riyadh Metro. The contractor, ArRiyadh New Mobility Consortium ... More Information

Sandvik at NorthConnex

Sandvik is supplying thirteen roadheaders to the NorthConnex highway tunnel project in Sydney, Australia. Read the press release and visit www.construction.sandvik.com. 28/15. More Information

Robbins in Honolulu

Robbins in Honolulu

As of June, 2015 the Robbins 3.96 m-diameter Main Beam TBM has excavated more than 300 m for the 4.8 km new sewer tunnel in Kaneohe, Honolulu, Hawaii, US. The machine, nicknamed Pohakulani in ... More Information

Pink Line success

Last 11.06.2015 the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in India completed the 1,565 m-long TBM tunnel at Lajpat Nagar from South Extension, part of the Pink Line or Line 7 from Majlis Park to ... More Information

Mount Kop on schedule

At the end of June, 2015 the drill/blast construction of the 6.5 km-long twin-tube Mount Kop tunnel, between Maden, Bayburt in the northwest in Black Sea Region, and Aşkale, Erzurum, in the ... More Information

Robbins’ Webinar Recording

Robbins’ Webinar Recording

The Robbins Company invites you to watch a recording of their June, 2015 webinar titled "Fast Track Your Mine with Proven TBM Technology" led by Ryan Gratias, Project Engineer at Robbins and Adam ... More Information

Namma Metro progress

The Phase-1 network of Namma Metro in Bangalore, India consists of two corridors: East-West Purple Line, 18.1 km-long; and North-South Green Line, 24.2 km-long. The two corridors intersect at ... More Information

Slovakia’s Visnove underway

Slovakia’s Visnove underway

On 09.06.2015, excavation of the first 100 m (west and east portal) was reported of the 7.5 km-long Visnove twin-tube tunnel that will become the longest in Slovakia. The tunnel is part of the ... More Information

Underground Construction 2016

Conference to be held in Prague, Czech Republic, May 23-25th. Abstract submission deadline: September 30, 2015. Guidelines and on-line abstract submission form are available at ... More Information

World Mining Congress 2016

The 24th edition of the WMC (World Mining Congress) will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 18-21st October, 2016. The event will focus on Mining in a World of Innovation and it will bring ... More Information

Helsinki Metro extension

Helsinki Metro extension

The metro in the Helsinki metropolitan area is set to continue from Ruoholahti via Lauttasaari to Espoo. In the first phase, a 14 km-long rail line from Ruoholahti to Matinkyla will be ... More Information

Complimentary Robbins webinar

‘Fast track your mine with proven TBM technology’ is the title of the upcoming 60-minute Robbins webinar on Wednesday 24th June with recorded broadcast the following day More Information

Ceneri base tunnel late

AlpTransit Gotthard has decided not to try to recover the 12 months lost during a legal dispute about the contracts awarded for the Ceneri Base Tunnel railway system More Information

WTC2016 abstracts

WTC 2016 will take place on April 22-28, 2016 in San Francisco, US. Deadline for abstract submission: 30.06.2015 More Information

Lyon-Turin investment

On 12.06.2015 Hubert Du Mesnil and Mario Virano, respectively President and General Manager of Telt (Euralpin Tunnel Lyon Turin), at the meeting "Preparing the future economic exchanges” held ... More Information

M4 East tunnels design

The Australian and NSW Governments have announced the preferred design for the M4 East tunnels to run under Parramatta Road More Information

Qatar breakthrough

On 11.06.2015 Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) announced the breakthrough of its TBM Al Mayeda at Msheireb station after having driven 1.6 km of tunnel More Information

Chenani-Nashri update

Completion of the 9 km bi-directional Chenani-Nashri tunnel in the Jammu & Kashmir (India) will be delayed by two months until July, 2016 More Information

Terratec in Bangkok

A Terratec 6.44 m-diameter EPBM has successfully broken through into Sanam Chai station on the Bangkok, Thailand metro after a 2.8 km drive through complex geology More Information

Gotthard countdown

Gotthard countdown

On 08.06.2015 Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, following the beginning of the countdown to the opening of the Gotthard base tunnel a week ago in Lucerne, took the opportunity of the Swiss day of transport and energy at Expo Milan to give the international starting signal More Information

Robbins webinar 2-2015

The Second Robbins webinar of the year is scheduled for 24th June, 2015. Webinar Details: Title: Fast-Track Your Mine with Proven TBM Technology Date: Wednesday, June 24th Time: 13:00 PST, 16:00 EST, 06:00 AEST Duration: 1 hour total Registration Link: http://bit.ly/TBMMining1 More Information

Crossrail - Celebrated Completion of tunneling marathon

Crossrail - Celebrated Completion of tunneling marathon

On 04.06.2015, Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson celebrated the completion of the Crossrail tunnels. The tunnelling marathon under London began in May, 2012 and ended at Farringdon with the arrival of TBMs Victoria on 26.05.2015 and Elisabeth on 11.05.2015. More Information

Tunnelling News

Tunnel Boring Machine Emily Passes Key Factory Test for DC Water Potomac River Tunnel Project

Tunnel boring machine (TBM), Emily. This test confirms that Emily is ready to begin excavating the southern leg of the Potomac River Tunnel — a ... More Information

Sydney Metro West achieves world-first in tunnelling technology

Sydney Metro West has achieved a world-first in tunnel construction with a Lining Erector Machine (LEM) successfully being used to line the mined ... More Information

Gateway construction continues despite Trump's claim of termination

Tutor Perini, the general contractor on the Manhattan Tunnel Project, confirmed construction activity is currently continuing as planned... More Information

Tunnelling complete for Annacis water supply project

Metro Vancouver has completed the tunnelling phase of the $450 million Annacis Water Supply Tunnel, which will complete in 2028... More Information

Santa Clara VTA confirms single tunnel plan for BART extension

With VTA now owning the tunnel boring machine, the agency assumes full responsibility for its performance, agency officials said. To manage the risk, ... More Information

Chennai: Tunnel Boring Machine Vaigai achieves breakthrough at Mandaveli Metro Station

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) on Saturday achieved a major milestone in Phase II tunnelling works, as Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ... More Information

Trump 'terminates' $16 billion Hudson River tunnel project linking N.J. and N.Y.C.

President Trump said funding for the $16 billion Gateway Tunnel project is "terminated" at a press conference. New Jersey officials said they will ... More Information

$676 million underwater tunnel for India

The project is expected to cost around $676 million, with a Detailed Project Report (DPR) having now been completed. India's road transport network is ... More Information

€1.4 billion Belgian tunnel project approved

The first phase of the €1.4 billion project for Belgium’s new Limburg Noord-Zuid link has been approved. Construction should commence in 2027 on the project, which will form a section of ... More Information

Tunnel boring machine S-639B achieves breakthrough under Kanpur Metro Phase I Project

The package KNPCC-06 involves design and construction of a tunnel through TBM, cut and cover tunnel, underground ramp from Kanpur Central end of ... More Information

Lawmakers propose construction of undersea tunnel to link Luzon and Visayas

Several lawmakers from the Visayas region are proposing the construction of an underground tunnel that will serve as a permanent land connection ... More Information

Oman-UAE rail project hits major milestone with start of tunnel excavation

Tunnel excavation has begun in Oman's Al Hajar Mountains, marking a major milestone for the cross-border Oman-UAE Railway... More Information

Engineering the depths: innovative tunnelling for hydropower projects

Major schemes in Austria, China, and Germany are applying advanced underground construction techniques for hydropower projects. More Information

New tunnel, new standard: Silvertown project showcases innovation in surface protection

Originally approved in 2018, construction of the tunnel began in March 2021. In September 2023, following the completion of tunnelling works, ... More Information

Metro Manila Subway Project: DOTr launches third tunnel boring machine

Dubai: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has launched a third tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), ... More Information

Skanska JV wraps up $450M Baltimore tunnel nearly 2 years early

A joint venture has reached substantial completion on the $450 million Howard Street Tunnel Project in Baltimore nearly two years ahead of the original completion date, according to a ... More Information

Work continues on NYC megaprojects, despite $18B federal funding pause

Contractors on two of New York City’s largest infrastructure projects will keep digging, but they might glance over their shoulders toward Washington... More Information

HS2 Chipping Warden tunnel project moves step forward

HS2 Ltd An aerial view of the HS2 tunnel construction at Chipping Warden. A road HS2 Ltd. The 1.55 mile (2.5km) Chipping Warden tunnel will be ... More Information

First of three Tunnel boring machines on way to SA as beams go up for tram overpass

The first of three tunnel boring machines that will be used to complete the northern and southern tunnels project is on its way to SA as part of a ... More Information

Chennai Metro Rail's TBMs to begin tunneling between Thiruvanmiyur and Indira Nagar

Chennai Metro Rail begins tunnelling work in challenging stretch for phase II project, facing obstacles due to hard rock... More Information

Custom lifting gantry aids TBM removal - Construction Briefing

The four TBMs excavated the 8.4 mile (14 km) Northolt Tunnel section. Two went in each way, digging a pair of tunnels from both ends towards each ... More Information

Tunnel construction begins on Barskoon — Bedel road in Issyk-Kul region

According to the project, two tunnels, 5,340 and 3,840 meters long, respectively, will be built at Sook and Ashuu-Suu passes. They will be among the ... More Information

China debuts world's mightiest centrifuge, unleashing ultra-intense gravity

China leads the way in shield tunnelling machine development · Shield machine of south line of Yellow River tunnel starts boring in Jinan · A close ... More Information

Boring Company Launches Global Operations Control Center in Bastrop, Texas

The Boring Company has officially opened its new Global Operations Control Centre in Bastrop, Texas, the tunnelling start-up announced on X... More Information

Port of Longview Lands $35.9MM Federal Loan for Rail Expansion

Active Construction on New Hudson Tunnel Project Supporting Domestic Jobs and Economic Output ... Bridges/Tunnels, Class 1, Freight, Ports, Track ... More Information

TBM Parvati Achieves Breakthrough At Kakadeo Station Of Kanpur Metro Line 2

Brief Scope: Design and Construction of TBM Tunnel, Cut and Cover Tunnel, ramp after Double Pullia, ramps in Agriculture Depot for main line and ... More Information

Howard Street tunnel reopens ahead of schedule, boosting Baltimore's freight capacity

The Howard Street Tunnel has been reopened after being out of service since February 2025.The nearly 130-year-old tunnel extends north from Camden Yards to the Mount Royal Station and is ... More Information

Progress update on the Tunnel Boring Machine for National Grid

Following its launch in May this year, Buddug, the Eryri VIP tunnel boring machine (TBM) is making good progress digging the tunnel which will ... More Information

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Clears Major Hurdle

After months of delay, the tunnel-boring machine stuck in China is being shipped to India, clearing the path for underground construction of the ... More Information

Bright lights: This Las Vegas tunnel is getting a major upgrade

Construction is underway on Desert Inn Road between Paradise Road and Joe W Brown Drive as part of a $9.2 million improvement project on Friday, ... More Information

Panama Canal Tunnel Boring Machine Crosses Under the Canal, Marking a Milestone

Panama Canal Tunnel Boring Machine Crosses Under the Canal, Marking a Milestone on Metro Line 3. Auto-dubbed. 398 views · 6 hours ago ...more ... More Information

Major breakthrough achieved in Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train tunnel construction

Mumbai: A breakthrough was achieved for a 4.88 km-long tunnel between Shilphata and Ghansoli for the... More Information

New Austrian tunnelling method achieves milestone breakthrough in BKC-Shillphata undersea tunnel project

In a significant milestone for the ambitious undersea tunnel project between BKC and Shillphata, g Method (NATM) has ... More Information

World's Longest Railway Connection Makes Construction Breakthrough

The Brenner Base Tunnel, built deep beneath the Alps, is set to reshape freight and passenger transport across Europe... More Information

New game-changing tunnel boring, reef cutting 'meeting and beating' all expectations

UG2 reef at Bokoni is the target of the twin mobile tunnel boring and narrow reef cutter. Tunnelling will be done with the mobile tunnel borer for ... More Information

Mota-Engil CEO confirms winning bid for Santos-Guaruja tunnel

The company's subsidiary, Mota-Engil, has won the tender for the construction and operation of Brazil's first underwater tunnel, connecting the ... More Information

Metro Vancouver Utility Nearing Finish of $288M Annacis Water Tunnel

“Resilience is at the heart of this project,” said Nedim Alca, COWI's North America market director. “What makes this milestone so significant is not ... More Information

Fehmarnbelt: Danish tunnel portal nears completion

The work on the entrance to the Fehmarnbelt tunnel at Rødbyhavn on Lolland is almost complete. photo courtesy of The Fehmarnbelt Project. More Information

Final decision on airport tunnel 'now or never'

Alderman Jim Stevenson and City administrators are making a dramatic last push for the airport tunnel before construction on the new north/south ... More Information