The North East Link tunnel project hit another solid milestone over the weekend, with the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) on the project having passed the one-kilometre mark.
TBM Zelda is excavating the 6.5-kilometre northbound tunnel and has surpassed the 1km mark, while TBM Gillian has surpassed 700m on the southbound tunnel.
Tunnelling is expected to be completed in 2026, however the TBMs are expected to break through near Lower Plenty Road where on and off ramps are currently being built before returning underground and tunnelling to Bulleen.
The tunnels are expected to pull 15,000 trucks off local roads and divert traffic up to 45 metres below ground. Travel times are expected to be cut by up to 35 minutes once the tunnels are in operation.
“The North East Link has been talked about for decades and works are powering ahead as we build the missing link in Melbourne’s road network,” Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Danny Pearson says.
Other key works across the state including the M80 Ring Road Completion and Eastern Freeway Upgrades are ongoing.
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