TBM Bella, 110 days after it began its journey, has reached 1.073 m of her 4km journey digging the West Gate Tunnel Project’s outbound tunnel. The second TBM, Vida has tunneled 23% of her 2.8km dig for the inbound tunnel and has advanced 655 m.  

Both TBMs are at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TBM Vida will take around a year to complete her journey and TBM Bella will tunnel for 18 months.  

The TBMs are building the new twin tunnels between the Maribyrnong River and the West Gate Freeway, providing a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge. The TBMs started their journey at the northern portal in Yarraville and are moving south-west towards the southern portals along the West Gate Freeway. The project will create quicker and safer journeys and remove over 9000 trucks a day from streets in the inner west. It will take just under 4 years for the tunnels and portals to be built, fitted out, commissioned and ready for use.  

The start and end of each tunnel are being built using the cut&cover method. This involves excavating a trench then covering it with a concrete deck to form a roof. 

At Williamstown Road - the inbound entrance to the West Gate Tunnel where the second TBM Vida will finish her journey - crews are preparing the site for further construction of the roof: click here for a video. For further information on the project please click here and au/35 and visit https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/. 30/22.