Passenger Rail

Metro Tunnel project achieves drilling breakthrough

Victoria’s Metro Tunnel project has reached a significant project milestone by connecting two caverns at the point that will become the new State Library Station in Melbourne. 

Three of the seven roadheader drills being used for underground tunneling works on the project in the city’s central business district met 30 metres underground at the site where the station will be built on Thursday.

Rail Projects Victoria expects excavation of the station area is to be completed by late 2020. The breakthrough, which took eight months to achieve, took place below Swanston Street between Franklin East and A’Beckett Street.

Four roadheaders will be employed for the State Library Station excavation, with the other three to be used for excavation of Town Hall Station.

“In total, more than 500,000 tonnes of material will be excavated – the equivalent of almost 70 Olympic swimming pools – with 1,500 tonnes of rock and soil removed every 24 hours,” the government said in a statement.

The $5 billion Metro Tunnel project will build five stations from North Melbourne to Anzac over a distance of nine kilometres. It is set for completion by 2025.