The TBMs Grace and Sandy, after a detailed maintenance program, have started tunnelling from the Airport Central Station and will install 3291 rings between them before breaking through into the underground station box at Redcliffe later this year. Construction of Redcliffe Station is progressing well, with the station box excavated and waterproofing now installed. Upcoming works will focus on constructing the station’s base slab with nine separate concrete pours of 1.5m depth for each. The slab will then be prepared for the arrival of the TBMs later this year.

With the tunnels now fully formed between Forrestfield and Airport Central stations, following the removal of segments used to guide the TBMs through the Airport Central Station box, the works are progressing on the development the Airport Central infrastructure and construction of the project’s cross passages. These passages will be located approximately every 400m along the 8km route and will provide a safe connection between the tunnels.

At 23m deep an emergency egress shaft near Abernethy Road has now been excavated, this is the one of the first cross passages between the tunnels. Click here and au/34 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.forrestfieldairportlink.wa.gov.au ,  please also refer to http://tunnelbuilder.com/Archive/Projects.aspx?&projectcode=au%2f34. 33/18.