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

Poltinger sponsors tunnelbuilder.com

Poltinger sponsors tunnelbuilder.com

It is always a great day at tunnelbuilder when one of its established clients steps up to sponsor our flagship website. More Information

Robbins holes at Pahang Selangor

Robbins holes at Pahang Selangor

The first of three 5.23 m-diameter Robbins Main Beam TBMs has holed on the 44.6 km-long Pahang Selangor water transfer tunnel in Malaysia More Information

Blue Plains Tunnel TBM

On 09.04.2013 the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) named its massive Blue Plains Tunnel TBM Lady Bird, More Information

Meditunnel 2013 in Croatia

The symposium on tunnelling in the Mediterranean region takes place 7-8th May, 2013 in Porec on the Adriatic coast of Croatia More Information

ISTSS 2014 calling

Call for papers for the 6th International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, ISTSS 2014, to be held at World Trade Centre (WTC) in Marseille, France, 12-14th March, 2014. More Information

Coatzacoalcos elements immersed

Coatzacoalcos elements immersed

On 11.03.2013 and 21.03.2013 the first and second elements of the 1.6 km-long Coatzacoalcos River tunnel in Veracruz, Mexico were successfully immersed. More Information

Phyllis reaches Bond Street

On 25.03.2013 TBM Phyllis reached the south end of the new Crossrail Bond Street western ticket hall at Davies Street, having constructed 2,000 tunnel rings and completed 3.2 km of new tunnels. More Information

More safety of the Frejus trans-European tunnel

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has made a tangible commitment to the cross-border Frejus Tunnel project in the form of a EUR120 million loan. It will enable a second tube to be built alongside the existing tunnel connecting Piedmont to Savoie. More Information

Gotthard Base Tunnel test runs

From April, 2013 rail tracks in both tubes of Gotthard Base Tunnel, for 20 km between Erstfeld and Sedrun, will be fully installed. More Information

EIB funds Warsaw Metro

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR238 million towards the construction of the 6.7 km-long central section of Warsaw’s new metro line. More Information

ES Rubber in Gdansk

Twin 1.1 km-long, 12.2 m-diameter TBM-driven tunnels under the Vistula River in Gdansk, More Information

Metrorail kicks off in Madrid

The three-day Metrorail conference opens at Hilton Madrid Airport Hotel on Tuesday, 9th April More Information

Important visitors to Bauma

Some very important people will be attending Bauma in Muenchen later this month from 15-21 April. More Information

Devil’s Slide tunnels open

Devil’s Slide tunnels open

On 26.03.2013 the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officially opened the northbound and southbound Highway 1-Devil’s Slide Tunnels to traffic overnight. More Information

Follo Line from Oslo to Ski

The new 22 km-long double track Oslo-Ski line is part of the Follo project, which comprises 64 km of rail track. Preliminary works will start in 2013, and the contract for the 19.5 km-long twin tunnel will be tendered soon afterwards. More Information

The Northgate Link Extension

The Northgate Link Extension construction began in late-2012 with demolition of the Roosevelt Station site. More Information

SR 99 TBM docks in Seattle

The 41 parts that comprise the world’s largest EPB, with a 17.45 m diameter and weighing 7,000 t, arrived in Seattle, US from Osaka, Japan on 02.04.2013. More Information

Milan metro double

Milan metro double

On 26.03.2013 twin Herrenknecht EPBs owned by Astaldi simultaneously reached Pozzo Parco in the CityLife area having started from San Siro Harar–Dessie in April, 2012. This completed the 3 ... More Information

Saverne second tube complete

On 25.02.2013, TBM Charlotte, diameter 10 m, length 110 m, weight 2,220 tons, broke through the second tube of the 4,020m Saverne tunnel driving east-west. More Information

Rome Line C construction

Construction of the 3 km-long T3 section, San Giovanni - Fori Imperiali/Colosseo, Line C of the Rome metro will start in April, 2013. More Information

Pir Panjal tunnel opening

Pir Panjal tunnel opening

The 10.96 km-long, 8.40 m-wide, 7.39 m-high Pir Panjal railway tunnel on the Banihal-Qazigund section of J & K railway line is the India’s longest and Asia’s second largest. More Information

EasyJoint from G&G

EasyJoint from G&G

G&G Partners is a modern and dynamic company located in northern Italy, established and run by qualified managers in the ventilation field for tunnelling and mining applications. More Information

Meet iPS at Bauma

Meet iPS at Bauma

The iPS tunnelling team will be at Bauma, Muenchen from April 15-21 in Hall C, booth 529 to advise visitors on current and future employment More Information

Call for papers ISTSS 2014

Call for Papers for the 6th International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS 2014), to be held at World Trade Centre (WTC) in Marseille, France, 12-14th March, 2014. More Information

Italy tops tunnelbuilder league

This week saw the opening of tunnelbuilder file it/200, a landmark indicating that Italy has started more projects than any other country over the last fifteen years. During the same period, we reported 187 large projects in Norway and 171 in Spain. More Information

Air cushion carrier from Palmieri

Air cushion carrier from Palmieri

The innovative air cushion based carrier system Airmover 3000, conceived, designed and manufactured by Palmieri Group, was used for the first time to shift 3000 t TBM Martina at Sparvo More Information

Caterpillar at Toronto Metro

On 05.03.2013 the 6.12 m-diameter Caterpillar TBM EPB, nicknamed Moley, broke through the headwall of Downsview extraction shaft in the city of Toronto, More Information

Kathmandu-Hetauda postponed

The Nepal Infrastructure Development Company (NIDC) that conducted the detailed project report (DPR) of the Kathmandu-Hetauda tunnel highway couldn’t come up with convincing plans for a concession agreement with the government. More Information

CIPE funds new lines

CIPE funds new lines

On 08.03.2013 CIPE approved the final design for the first phase of technological and infrastructural alignment of the Battipaglia-Reggio Calabria railway in Italy, amount EUR157.4 million. More Information

Sesto-Monza metro extension

The JV Coestra/Bonciani/ACMAR of Florence was awarded the contract for the 1.8 km-long Line 1 metro extension from Sesto FS to Monza, in Italy. More Information

Tunnel safety and fire protection

Conference scheduled 4-5th June, 2013 for Brisbane, Australia will examine risk management, emergency response and fire prevention in tunnels. More Information

Kathmandu-Hetauda Tunnel Highway

Kathmandu-Hetauda Tunnel Highway

The Nepal Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management will sign the final agreement with the Nepal Purbadhar Bikas Company (NPBC) More Information

Last chance for ExpoTunnel deal

Last chance for ExpoTunnel deal

ExpoTunnel, scheduled for Bologna, Italy from October 17-20th, 2013 is offering favourable reservation rates until end-February on all applications received by end of business on that day More Information

Strabag and Rio Tinto in partnership

Global mining company Rio Tinto, in cooperation with TBM manufacturers, recently developed two new tunnel boring systems (TBS) and one shaft boring system (SBS). More Information

Breakthrough at El Alto hydro

Breakthrough at El Alto hydro

The main underground structures on the new El Alto hydropower plant in Chiriqui province of Panama, in the district of Renacimiento near the Costa Rica border, More Information

Tunnel fitter required

International personnel recruitment agency iPS is seeking a fitter with general knowledge of the mechanical equipment used in tunnels. More Information

Tunnelling News

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

Incredible new $7.9bn mega rail and road tunnel to be the world's longest

The safety of our workers is of utmost importance during the construction of the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel. We will await the findings of the ... More Information

TBM launch from Rukanpura soon as metro work gains pace

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the underground network is likely to be launched from Rukanpura on Bailey Road, which falls under Corridor I ... More Information

World's largest-diameter boring machine used for Yangtze River railway tunnel

China's domestically developed, world's largest-diameter vertical shaft boring machine 'Qiming' was officially put into operation in Taicang City ... More Information

HCMC approves sea-crossing route with undersea tunnel between Can Gio and Vung Tau

Ho Chi Minh City has approved a strategic proposal by Vingroup to construct a direct sea-crossing road connecting the Can Gio coastal urban area with Vung Tau beach town, cutting travel ... More Information

Changi Airport’s new underground link to take passengers from future T5 to T2 in 4 minutes

SINGAPORE – Passengers at the future Changi Airport Terminal 5 can expect to reach Terminal 2 in four minutes via the airport’s new underground link... More Information

SRL inspires TBM Captains - Victoria's Big Build

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Captains. When SRL East opens in 2035 ... Construction of SRL East is powering ahead, with more than 3000 people ... More Information

Beneath winter's fjords: 17 miles of rock, 1300 ft deep

Rogfast tunnel construction beneath Norway's winter fjords, 17 miles long and 1,300 feet deep,. Credits: Ground Engineering. For years, the E39 ... More Information

Massive Sinkhole Opens Near $26 Billion Tunnel Project in Melbourne

A massive sinkhole has suddenly opened up in Melbourne near a major highway tunnel construction site, sparking safety fears and halting ... More Information

The world's longest expressway tunnel: China's Tianshan Shengli Tunnel

At the same time, the project also implemented China's first 'three-tunnel parallel construction' plan, which increased the number of workfaces. At ... More Information

'Not really where you want to be': Ground preparation for Lower Thames Crossing tunnelling

The Lower Thames Crossing is a major new road and tunnel project in the UK, intended to alleviate congestion at the Dartford Crossing and enhance. More Information

Funding problems affect metro line extensions

In the Athens metropolitan area, construction of Line 4 is continuing, with the Avax-Ghella-Alstom consortium saying the two tunnel-boring machines ... More Information