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

Hard Rock in Turkey

Hard Rock in Turkey

In December, 2013 a 4.3 m-diameter Robbins double shield TBM emerged triumphant after boring a 9.3 km-long headrace tunnel in Turkey’s Adana Province for the Yamanli II hydroelectric project. ... More Information

Two TBMs for Phase 2 of Metro de Quito

In 2015, Quito will have two TBMs working in the tunnels for the Line 1 of Metro de Quito, Phase 2. The first machine will be launched from El Labrador site and the second from Solanda area. Phase 1 ... More Information

Challenge of Fehmarnbelt clay

The recently completed geotechnical investigations in the Fehmarnbelt have thrown up new and important knowledge about a particular clay layer, which has been a great challenge for other major ... More Information

Crossrail tunnels half complete

Tunnelling on London Crossrail has passed the halfway stage. Read the attached bulletin for a full update on every aspect of the project, including details of septuagarian Peter ... More Information

Klang Valley EPBs ahead of schedule

Klang Valley EPBs ahead of schedule

CTE has announced the breakthrough of the second CREG EPB at KL Sentral station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the Klang Valley MRT project More Information

Tunnel Russia for Moscow

Tunnel Russia, a new international conference scheduled for Moscow on March 12-14, 2014, will cover tunnelling and microtunnelling, directional drilling and combined construction technologies used ... More Information

Two Moscow meetings

In the first half of 2014 there will be two tunnelling conferences in Moscow: Tunnel Russia in March and Intertunnel in May. For details visit www.tunnelrussia.com and contact ... More Information

Fehmarn tenders attract attention

More than 400 participants representing more than 200 companies met together in Copenhagen on 21.01.2014 to learn more about the two upcoming tender packages from Femern A/S. Nine international ... More Information

A year is a long time in advertising

The key to Internet advertising is its availability. Whenever the reader wants you, you can be there, 24/7 for 52 weeks of the year! All that is needed is a good advertisement and qualified readers. ... More Information

Robbins TBMs return to Norway

Robbins TBMs return to Norway

On 21.11.2013 a cutterhead turning ceremony and champagne celebration marked the return of TBMs to Norway. More Information

Drilling shafts in front of Bertha

It turns out that Bertha, the SR 99 TBM constructing the tunnel to replace the earthquake-damaged Alaskan Way viaduct in Seattle, was stopped by a 20 cm-diameter steel pipe traced to a 2002 groundwater study. More Information

Terratec microtunneller bringing relief to Delhi

Terratec microtunneller bringing relief to Delhi

Delhi Jal Board DJB is laying a 59 km-long sewer along the Yamuna river at depths of 6-18 m on which a Terratec DN1600 microtunnelling system is already halfway through its allotted task. Read ... More Information

Time to celebrate

As 2013 draws to a close, what a pleasure it is to read about improving financial and employment statistics across the major economies! It has taken five years and a lot of pain to get to this ... More Information

Gotthard milestone

Gotthard milestone

On 16.12.2013 Swiss federal councillor Doris Leuthard officially opened the pilot rail operation in the west tube of the Gotthard base tunnel. For the first time, a train travelled over the ... More Information

Blocked Bertha, the SR 99 TBM

Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP), WSDOT’s design-build tunnel contractor, have taken their first step toward resumption of progress of Bertha, the SR 99 tunnelling machine. More Information

Recordbreaking Ritchie Bros’ auction

Recordbreaking Ritchie Bros’ auction

More than 1,220 bidders from 72 countries registered to participate in the auction in Caorso, Italy on 10.12.2013: a record for the Italian branch. More Information

Eight Terratec TBMs in Delhi

Eight Terratec TBMs in Delhi

Terratec has announced delivery of the final two TBMs of eight ordered for Delhi Metro Phase 3. More Information

Black River launch

Black River launch

Near the banks of the Black River in Ohio, a 7.0 m-diameter Robbins Double Shield TBM and continuous conveyor system are starting up. More Information

First blast in Wolf access

Excavation work by Swietelsky construction company has started on the access tunnel in Wolf, near Steinach, Austria with the first blast on December 4th, St. Barbara's Day. More Information

Morazzone breakthrough

Breakthrough of the east tube of the 2,167m Morazzone tunnel Pedemontana Lombarda was achieved on 04.12.2013 to complete the tunneling works. More Information

Pale breakthrough

Pale breakthrough

On 04.12.2013 final breakthrough was achieved on the Pale tunnel (2,319 m - 2,045 m) in Scopoli, Foligno municipality on SS77 Val di Chienti in Italy. More Information

Bypass for Palermo railway

Bypass for Palermo railway

On 02.12.2013 details were released about the 5 km-long bypass Section B for the railway network in Palermo. More Information

MineARC picks up safety award

MineARC picks up safety award

The international tunnelling award for safety initiative of the year was accepted in London by Thomas Horton of MineARC Systems for its emergency refuge chambers engineered for tunnels under construction. More Information

Aker sells TBM technology to CRTE

Aker Solutions has sold its German Aker Wirth tunnel-boring and shaft-boring technology to China Railway Tunneling Equipment Co. Ltd (CRTE). More Information

Huge Ritchie Bros. auction for Caorso

Huge Ritchie Bros. auction for Caorso

More than a hundred businesses have already supplied 1,020 heavy equipment items and trucks for Ritchie Bros’ final Caorso auction of 2013, to be held on Tuesday December 10, 2013. More Information

Robbins TBMs in Singapore

Robbins TBMs in Singapore

Downtown Line Stage 3 Contract 927 in Singapore involves the construction of two mainline tunnels by TBM, a breakdown siding tunnel by shotcrete lining, and the Bedok Reservoir station. More Information

Singapore expressway opens soon

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will open the new Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) from 09.00h on Sunday, 29.12.2013. The 5 km-long MCE, Singapore’s tenth expressway, More Information

University Link to open early

Sound Transit will open the University Link light rail extension by March, 2016, some six months earlier than previously scheduled. More Information

Prado Sud tunnel opens

Prado Sud, a consortium led by Vinci Concessions with Eiffage, inaugurated the 1.5 km-long Prado Sud tunnel in Marseille on 15.11.2013. More Information

Colle di Tenda start

The JV Grandi Lavori Fincosit/Toto Costruzioni Generali has started construction of the new Colle di Tenda tunnel on SS 20 Valle di Roja and Colle di Tenda in Piemonte. More Information

Arabian conference programme

The Arabian tunneling conference and exhibition takes place in Dubai, UAE December 10-11 More Information

OFTA from Robbins

OFTA from Robbins

Onsite First Time Assembly was developed by Robbins for the Niagara Tunnel project, which used a 14.4 m-diameter hard rock TBM. OFTA reduces delivery schedules and overall costs significantly. More Information

Pipe systems in tunnels

Tunnels present designers and engineers with particular challenges when it comes to installing pipework. Read a paper prepared by Dave Hudson, More Information

InterTunnel Russia 2014

InterTunnel Russia will take place 14-16 May at VVC All Russia Exhibition Centre, Moscow - a new venue for 2014. More Information

TBM starts Maddalena survey tunnel

TBM starts Maddalena survey tunnel

On 12.11.2013 TBM excavation started for the Maddalena survey tunnel in Chiomonte on the Lyon-Turin line. More Information

Hong Kong sewage treatment

Hong Kong sewage treatment

On 08.11.2013 the breakthrough ceremony took place for Hong Kong’s Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) Stage 2A sewage tunnel (North Point-Wan Chai section), marking a new milestone for the project More Information

Tunnelling News

Single-Bore Tunnel Method Chosen for BART Silicon Valley Phase II

This decision allows VTA to advance project design towards 60%, stay on a critical path to tunnel construction and meet the projected revenue service ... More Information

Boring Co. begins 'controlled blasting' for Nashville tunnel at TN capitol

The Boring Co. has started excavation work at a state-owned parking lot on Rose Parks Boulevard for the Music City Loop project Wednesday, Aug. 13, ... More Information

TBM arrives in Montreal for delayed metro extension project

A custom-built tunnel boring machine (TBM) has arrived in Canada for use on a 6km extension of the Montreal Metro... More Information

Spain Confirms Feasibility of €8.5 Billion Morocco-Europe Tunnel

The study was conducted by German company Herrenknecht, the world leader in tunnel boring machines, at the request of the Spanish government's ... More Information

TxDOT spends $748M to burrow bus-size tunnels under Central Austin

The first tunnel boring machine will be deployed near ... Industry experts say tunnel boring machines typically advance about 50 feet per day. More Information

6 TBMs on Duty on the 27-Kilometer Line in Körfezray

Two of the six Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will serve in the first 27-kilometer phase are actively excavating tunnels, while the ... More Information

Construction on HS2's Euston tunnel will start 'fairly soon', says rail minister

Construction on the HS2 tunnel from Old Oak Common station to Euston station will start “fairly soon”, the rail minister has said... More Information

Blue Line Extension TBM Arrives at Port of Montreal

Railway Track and Structures Construction site of the future Vertières station (Pie-IX) in June 2025. Caption and photo courtesy of STM. MONTREAL - The tunnel boring machine (TBM) ... More Information

Tunnel break through milestone for Mt Messenger Bypass project

A 110 tonne excavating machine, called Hinetūparimaunga, has broken through at the northern end of the project's 235 metre-long tunnel ... More Information

$3.9 billion tunnel and bridge link for VA

Costing around $3.9 billion, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) upgrade Expansion project for Virginia will improve traffic flow for a key ... More Information

Extended North Tunnel Flood Mitigation Project Receives $18.2 Million in State Funding

The funding advanced by the board includes a $17.2 million loan and $1 million grant for the construction of the mile-long tunnel, which will divert ... More Information

Gateway Project faces new uncertainty amid government shutdown

Federal funding for the $16B Hudson Tunnel Project, aka Gateway, has been paused during the government shutdown, sparking political backlash. More Information

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