Airport Link project achieves second tunnel breakthrough

Brisbane’s Airport Link project celebrates a second tunnel milestone as ‘Sandy’ one of the project’s two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) broke through into the 23-metre wide underground cavern at Wooloowin last week. The breakthrough represents the halfway point of the journey with 1.25 kilometres from Toombul to Lutwyche to go.

“The tunnelling teams have achieved good progress, with the TBMs travelling underneath streets and parklands between Clayfield and Wooloowin,” said Thiess John Holland project director Gordon Ralph.

‘Sandy’ and sister TBM ‘Rocksy’ have each tunnelled over a kilometre, while 17 roadheaders have completed the excavation of the tunnels and ramps from Kedron to Bowen Hills. It is now possible to walk underground from Bowen Hills to Toombul.

More than 70 percent of the $4.8 billion infrastructure project is now complete. The Airport Link is scheduled to open in mid‐2012 and will be the first major motorway connecting Brisbane city with the airport and northern suburbs.