The North East Link’s first tunnel boring machine (TBM) has started its 6.5km journey to Bulleen, Victoria.
Two TBMs, named Zelda and Gillian are two groundbreaking local women in Melbourne, will dig the North East Link road tunnels.
Both TBM Zelda and TBM Gillian will dig approximately 10m per day and install tunnel walls made of approximately 44,000 individual concrete segments made locally in Benalla.
Tunnelling will go into 2026, ahead of the tunnels opening in 2028.
North East Link’s twin 3-lane road tunnels will connect the M80 Ring Road to the Eastern Freeway. At 6.5km long – twice the length of the Burnley tunnel – they’re set to be the longest road tunnels in Victoria.
North East Link will take 15,000 trucks off local roads a day and fix the missing link in Melbourne’s road network.
Watch the video below.
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