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Xiushan rail tunnel completed

Xiushan rail tunnel completed

The 10,303 m-long Xiushan railway tunnel on the 141 km-long Yuxi-Mengzi line of the Pan-Asia Railway eastern line was completed on 10.01.2012, after six years’ work. More Information

Toven tunnel holing imminent

Construction of 13.5 km of dual carriageway from Brattlia in Drevja to Leirosen in the county of Nordland, Norway is underway as part of the new Fv 78 link between the E6 motorway in the east and Rv 17 county road in the west. More Information

Jacobs Engineering awarded I90 contract

Jacobs Engineering Group has been awarded a contract by Washington State Department of Transport WSDOT to provide design services for fire and life safety systems improvement in the Interstate 90 Mount Baker and Mercer Island tunnels. More Information

Cairo metro breakthroughs

Despite a year of political upheaval in Egypt, on 10.01.2012 the 9.46 m-diameter NFM TBM on Line 3, Phase 2 of Cairo metro project broke through into Stadium station after a 1,579 m drive during which best production figures were 24 m/day and 109.5 m/week. More Information

Robbins opens office in Chile

The world presence of Robbins Company has increased with the opening of their 14th office, in Santiago, Chile. More Information

Tender 053/2001 – First Stage - PQ for the Design Build of TBM tunnels contract for Tel Aviv metropolis RED and GREEN LINES

NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd is an Israeli government owned company in charge of the design and construction of the mass transit system in Tel Aviv metropolitan area, Israel. More Information

Lai Chi Kok drainage tunnel breakthrough

Construction of Hong Kong’s Lai Chi Kok drainage tunnel has entered its final stage following main tunnel breakthrough in December. The EUR1.3 billion project involves construction 3.7 km of 4.9 m-diameter tunnels to intercept and transfer stormwater from the uphill areas of Lai Chi Kok More Information

CIFA announces new shotcrete machine

CIFA will be unveiling its new CST 8.20 compact shotcrete jumbo at Intermat in Paris on April 16-21. The CST 8.20 joins the established CIFA shotcreting line-up alongside the CSS-3 Step 3, the CSS-3 Crawler, and the PCS 209. The CST 8.20 is designed for tunnels up to 10 m in height and for mining applications. More Information

Sandvik jumbos on five-lane tunnel in Brazil

Sandvik jumbos on five-lane tunnel in Brazil

Four Sandvik drill jumbos are engaged in developing the widest tunnel in Latin America to house four conveyor runs and a service road. More Information

HS2 railway London-Birmingham approved

The second high speed railway line to be built in the UK will run 225 km from London Euston to Birmingham New Street. The first section out of Euston will require a 4.4 km tunnel at Ruislip, and a second new 2.25 km-long tunnel will be driven beneath the Chiltern hills at Amersham. More Information

Odebrecht and Robbins triumph at Olmos

Odebrecht and Robbins triumph at Olmos

The Olmos aqueduct in the high Andes will transfer water from the Atlantic basin to the Pacific basin to irrigate one of the driest regions of Peru. Breakthrough of the final 12.5 km-long section was achieved by a 5.3 m-diameter Robbins main beam TBM on 20.12.2011 after an epic drive through bursting rock using novel support and operating techniques. More Information

Big Chinese TBM for Yangtze crossing

The first independently developed compound slurry TBM has been presented by China Communications Construction Company Tianhe. More Information

Turin Hosts INTERtunnel 2012

INTERtunnel 2012 will be held in Turin 27-29th March, 2012 at Lingotto Fiere exhibition centre along with the rail EXPO Ferroviaria. INTERtunnel is an established platform for the international tunnelling industry to showcase new products and technologies. More Information

Spain – Updates from Line 9 at Barcelona

The EPB/hard rock mixed-mode 11.95 m-diameter tunnelling machine known as Besi, supplied by NFM for the excavation of metro line 9 in Barcelona, has reached Lesseps station. More Information

Crossrail tunnelling to commence from Royal Oak

The first of eight TBMs for London’s Crossrail project is a 140 m-long, 1,000 t machine manufactured by Herrenknecht, which is currently undergoing factory testing prior to being shipped and reassembled at Westbourne Park. More Information

Happy holidays to all our readers!

The management and staff at tunnelbuilder ltd send greetings and good wishes to all our readers around the world at this festive time. It has been a tough year for some of our supporters, but a good year for the tunnelling industry, with over 500 valuable bids advertised on our front page. So eat, drink and be merry! And be thankful that our industry is proving resilient enough to survive the ongoing financial trauma facing everybody else…..51/11. More Information

Chile cross-border priorities

According to the new ten-year plan agreed by Union de Naciones Suramericanas, 31 major projects are to be undertaken in South America. Chile’s priorities have not changed, and remain: the ... More Information

Atlas Copco to acquire GIA.

Stockholm, Sweden, December 16, 2011: Atlas Copco AB has agreed to acquire the underground business of GIA Industri AB from Vätterledens Verkstad AB. With the acquisition, Atlas Copco broadens its offering with products including electric mine trucks, utility vehicles and ventilation systems. More Information

Letter of intent signed for Karawanken dualling

Slovenia and the Austrian province of Carinthia signed a letter of intent on 09.12.2011 to build a second tube for the 7,864m-long Karawanken road tunnel. More Information

Robbins EPBs bore Final Meters in Zhengzhou

Robbins EPBs bore Final Meters in Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou, China is one step closer to becoming a national crossroads for rail traffic with the breakthrough of two EPBs. The 6.3 m (20.7 ft) Robbins TBMs have set a Chinese EPB record in the process, excavating up to 720 m (2,362 ft) in one month. The swift machines boring the Metro Line 1 holed through in October and November 2011—at least two weeks ahead of schedule. More Information

Listec line type heat detector

Listec GmbH of Isen, near Muenchen in Germany is supplying its line type heat detector to two major European projects: Line C of Rome metro, and Frejus road tunnel. More Information

Crossrail unveils its first tunnelling boring machine

Crosssrail has unveiled the first of eight, 1,000 tonne tunnel boring machines that will construct the its tunnels under central London More Information

Emcor SA seeks agents to promote their products.

Emcor SA, a Spanish company that manufactures and supplies materials for the tunnelling and mining industry, is looking for agents and/or companies to introduce and sell these products in Austria, Germany, France, Finland and Russia. More Information

New Rotterdam river crossing approved

New Rotterdam river crossing approved

On 08.12.2011 Dutch transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen gave the green light to build the Blankenburg road tunnel, west of Rotterdam. More Information

Chile – Seli has completed the exploratory tunnel for Los Bronces mine

On November 17, 2011 just over two years after works began, the Seli TBM completed the excavation of an 8km exploratory tunnel for the Los Bronces mine. Los Bronces is one of the largest copper mines in the world, and is located near Cordigliera in the Andes. More Information

USA – The state of Virginia signs off road and tunnel contracts worth USD 3 Billion

A joint venture between Skanska Infrastructure Development and Macquarie Group worth US$2.1 Billion was approved by VDOT to build a new Midtown Tunnel and to rehabilitate the existing Midtown tunnel in Virginia. More Information

CIFA formworks for Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme (STEP)

As a part of the new Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme (STEP) awarded by ADSSC of Abu Dhabi to Impregilo for the construction of the 2 lots T02 and T03, CIFA will supply formworks for the cast lining on site. More Information

Naples Line 6 reaches Municipio

Naples Line 6 reaches Municipio

On 23.11.2011 breakthrough was achieved on the Mergellina-Municipio section of Naples Line 6 when the Wirth EPB TBM reached the exit shaft in Municipio. Excavation of the 2,902 m-long, 8.25 m-diameter tunnel below the water table started in October, 2007. More Information

MoU signed for Belgrade metro

On 18.11.2011 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the city of Belgrade and Alstom Transport South Europe for construction of a new EUR1billion public rail transport system. A 15-month preliminary study by Egis Rails will determine the full technical and operational features of a 15 km line (L1) with 4.5 km underground and 25 stations. Located on the southern bank of the Danube, the Y shaped line will connect the central districts of the city, linking Ustanicka-Novi Merkator to Tvornicka on one branch, to Zelesnicka Stanica Novi Beograd on the other. More Information

Normet concrete sprayer debuts in Mexico

Normet concrete sprayer debuts in MexicoNormet introduced its new Alpha series diesel hydraulic mobile concrete sprayer, the Semmco Alpha 30, at the recent CIM mining convention in Acapulco, Mexico. ... More Information

Final breakthrough for T-Connection in Norway

Final breakthrough for T-Connection in NorwayOn 13.10.2011 final breakthrough for the 9 km-long undersea tunnel of Norway's T-Connection was safely achieved by contractor AF Gruppen AS. The project, ... More Information

Italian breakthroughs

Italian breakthroughsOn 24.10.2011 breakthrough was achieved on the north tube of the Collemaggio tunnel, located between km9.244 and km10.036 on the SS318. Two days later, another tunnel holed out ... More Information

Middle East Tunnelling 2011

Middle East Tunnelling 2011This event takes place at Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha, Qatar on 12-14th December, 2011. The region is home to some of the most significant and innovative tunnelling projects ... More Information

Robbins EPB starts Baku metro drive

Robbins EPB starts Baku metro driveA 6.3 m-diameter Robbins EPB has commenced boring the Baku metro in Azerbaijan. Together with another similar EPB, the machine will bore parallel 3.5 km-long ... More Information

Higher costs for Blanka tunnel in Prague

Higher costs for Blanka tunnel in PragueSaturday 15.10.2011 was open day at Blanka road tunnel, part of the northwest section of the Prague ring road in the Czech Republic. The construction cost is ... More Information

Middle East Tunnelling 2011

Middle East Tunnelling 2011The MEED Middle East tunnelling conference takes place in Doha, Qatar on 12-14th December, 2011. It will provide attendees with the latest information on tunnelling ... More Information

Tunnelling News

$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

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