Brisbane's Airport Link powering ahead
Jun 2010
Project News Release
- Transport Minister Rachel Nolan joined hundreds of Thiess John Holland workers last Friday, (June 18) to celebrate the first tunnel breakthrough for construction of Australia's longest road tunnel.
Roadheader breakthrough
- The Airport Link breakthrough occurred in the northbound tunnel when the roadheader travelling south from Windsor cut through the tunnel face at Bowen Hills, 22m below the surface of Lutwyche Road.
- Project Director Gordon Ralph congratulated the 200-plus workers from Thiess John Holland's Truro Street and Federation Street tunnelling teams who were on site to witness the breakthrough.
- "I am proud of the efforts of our tunnelling teams who are working around the clock at four key tunnelling sites in northern Brisbane in Bowen Hills, Windsor, Kedron and Wooloowin, to construct the twin 5.1km Airport Link tunnels," said Ralph.
- Meanwhile, the first two of eights forms for casting the final lining in the tunnels have started their tasks. Built and supplied by Ceresola TLS AG of Switzerland, the first pours were cast successfully on the 8th and 24th of June.
-
The first of eight Ceresola forms set up for the Brisbane Airport Link highway tunnels
- The formwork systems are believed to be the largest in the world comprise of a hydraulically enlargeable carrier with track widths from 10m to 14.6m and a hydraulic enlargeable formwork skin from 14.4m to 26m wide and up to 12.7m high. The forms will adjust to accommodate six different cross sections, including the project's 2, 3 and 4-lane highway sections and the transition caverns where on and off ramps join the main tunnel alignments. After seven months in design and production, shipping of the first four forms from the manufacturing facility in northern Italy started at the beginning of 2010.
- Ceresola will supply eight tunnel forms for the Airport Link Brisbane project. Forms 3 and 4 are already on site and will be commissioned within the next few weeks while the four forms to line the ramps are being manufactured and shipped from Italy.
-
Tunnelling crews on hand for the celebrations
- "Today represents a milestone in our construction program since 24hr tunnelling operations started in May 2009. The roadheader that has just broken through is one of 11 machines excavating the 1.5km of tunnelling between Truro Street, Windsor and Federation Street, Bowen Hills."
- Construction of Airport Link is being undertaken together with the Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) requiring 15 kilometres of tunnelling in total, encompassing road and busway tunnels and connecting ramps. A total of 17 roadheaders are now advancing the Airport Link and Northern Busway tunnels – the largest number of roadheaders to be used on an Australian project.
- Thiess John Holland is currently preparing for another major milestone with launch of the first of two Herrenknecht TBMs that will drive the project's twin highway tunnel tubes from Kalinga Park, Toombul in July 2010.
-
Holethrough achieved
- BrisConnections Chairman, Trevor Rowe AM, said "the efforts to date bring us one step closer to the operation of Airport Link, scheduled to open in the next two years. By mid 2012, Airport Link will remove up to 18 sets of traffic lights for motorists travelling from the city to Brisbane Airport and Australia Trade Coast, reducing travel time by up to 50%," said Rowe.
- The Thiess John Holland JV has a design-build contract with BrisConnections, the concession responsible for delivering the Airport Link, the Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) and the Airport Roundabout Upgrade, as part of a $4.8 billion infrastructure investment by the Queensland State Government.
-
Brisbane awards airport highway tunnel link - TunnelTalk, May 2008
Herrenknecht makes it four for Brisbane - TunnelTalk, Aug 2008
Brisbane takes delivery of second TBM - TunnelTalk, April 2010
Brisbane road tunnels celebrate milestones - TunnelTalk, Dec 2009
|
|
|
|
|
Add your comment
- Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and comments. You share in the wider tunnelling community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language professional.
