Final breakthrough for Brisbane traffic link
13 Jun 2013
Peter Kenyon, TunnelTalk
- Main excavation of the Legacy Way traffic tunnels in Brisbane, Australia, is complete after the second machine for the Transcity JV broke through on the parallel tube earlier today (13 June 2013).
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International team celebrates final breakthrough in Brisbane
- The milestone hole-through - at 10:47am local time - means 4.6km of 12.4m diameter twin-running hard rock tunnels are constructed in just under 10 months.
- Delighted Tunnel Construction Manager Matteo Ortu told TunnelTalk from Australia this morning: "This is an outstanding performance. TBM Annabell achieved a best daily rate of 48m, a best weekly rate of 239.9m, and a best monthly advance of 841.9m through Bunya Phyllite geology that consisted of intermediate grade metamorphic rock with high-strength quartz bands and veins throughout."
- Annabell was the first of two refurbished Herrenknecht Double Shield hard rock TBMs to be launched on the project from the Toowong work site in August last year (2012). Her sister machine, which also worked on the CLEM7 traffic tunnels under Brisbane River and was refurbished for the Legacy Way project by the original manufacturer, Herrenknecht, broke through at Kelvin Grove in April this year.
- Ortu explained: "Annabel was stopped for a total of three months for the excavation of cross passages and the low point sump storage tank. Daily cutting tool changes were made during scheduled maintenance time."
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The moment TBM breakthrough was achieved
- "Work now starts to backfill the invert with tunnel spoil including installation of the drainage system and the conduits for the electrical cables, construction of the road with RCC, cross passages excavation and cast in-situ lining, smoke duct construction, pavement, barriers, architectural panels, and mechanical and electrical fit-out," said Ortu, adding that 18 of the 46 cross passages and substation tunnels had been excavated. The precast concrete lining features a ring of 8x350mm thick segments + key for an i.d of 11.7m.
- Work now continues on dismantling the TBMs for resale back to Herrenknecht, Ortu told TunnelTalk. Completion of the main tunnels is completed two months ahead of schedule, with the project on target to open to traffic in 2015.
- A US$1.4 billion Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBOM) proposal by the Transcity consortium of partners was accepted by Brisbane City Council in September 2010. Under the terms of the agreement the Transcity consortium of Acciona (Spain), Brisbane developer BMD and tunnelling company Ghella (Italy), agreed a deal that set aside four years for construction plus a further 10 years of operation and maintenance of the new infrastructure.
- Legacy Way, formerly known as the Northern Link, will connect the Western Freeway at Toowong with the ICB at Kelvin Grove, providing an alternative route to local roads for traffic leaving the Western Freeway and travelling to and from the ICB. When it opens, Legacy Way is projected to reduce by up to 44% the peak hour travel time of journeys from the Centenary Bridge to the ICB.
- The project is Brisbane's third major road tunnel, following the 6.8km Clem Jones (CLEM7) Tunnel and the recently-opened Airport Link. It forms the fourth part of an overall transport plan known as the TransApex ring road program.
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Rapid excavation breaks through in Brisbane - TunnelTalk, April 2013
Brisbane advances vital traffic link - TunnelTalk, November 2012
Rebuilt TBMs launch on Brisbane traffic tunnel - TunnelTalk, August 2012
Brisbane awards Northern Link highway - TunnelTalk, September 2010
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