Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Lucey has finished her 670-metre journey for the Hobsons Bay Main Sewer project in Victoria (VIC).
The $206 million Melbourne Water-funded infrastructure project allows sewage to continue to flow to its Western Treatment Plant while the existing sewer is upgraded.
TBM Lucey travelled under the Yarra River before breaking through. The Hobsons Bay main sewer pipeline will be located at depths between 24.5 and 27 metres below the surface of the Yarra and will provide a significant increase in sewer capacity.
Now, Melbourne Water will start works on the sewer connections to get the new sewer up and running before beginning its reinstatement works next year.
Tunnelling first began in August 2023, with Lucey named by the students at the nearby Spotswood Primary School after Lucey Alford, the first female bacteriologist and scientist employed by the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works – now known as Melbourne Water.
“The Hobsons Bay main sewer project forms part of a broader Melbourne Water capital infrastructure program that will enhance the reliability of our sewerage network and services for the benefit of Melburnians today and for generations to come,” Melbourne Water managing director Nerina Di Lorenzo said.
“We’re looking towards the future and anticipating the evolving needs of a growing Melbourne – which is projected to nearly double in population by 2050. This project ensures our infrastructure is keeping up with future demand.”
A joint initiative by the VIC government, Melbourne Water, John Holland and Museums Victoria, the project is expected to complete by mid-2024.
Watch the video below.
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