The 240-tonne main drive from the tunnel boring machine used on the West Gate Tunnel project has been moved to port by truck.
With boring now completed on the $10 billion project, major parts on the tunnel boring machine have been returned to the German manufacturer Herrenknecht which included the recent movement of the superload from Whitehall Street to Appleton Dock.
The 4.1 kilometre journey took 45 minutes with the heavy haulage vehicle moving at speeds as low as 5 km/h.
After 11 months operating 24/7, the tunnel boring machine excavated over 1,000,000 tonnes of rock and soil while installing more than 10,000 individual concrete segments.
The machine ultimately covered 2.8-kilometres underground from the west side of the Maribyrnong River under Yarraville to Williamstown Road near the West Gate Freeway.
“This is another significant milestone for the West Gate Tunnel as we bid farewell to TBM Vida – the massive machine operated day and night to complete the tunnelling, and I want to thank all the crew’s working 24/7 to help deliver this important project,” said Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Jacinta Allan.
Construction of the road deck of the twin tunnels is now over 90 per cent complete as crews continue fitting out the electrical, lighting and safety systems to prepare the tunnel for completion in 2025.
The project has been plagued by cost blowouts and delays.
As the biggest investment ever made in the western side of Melbourne, the West Gate Tunnel is currently running $4 billion over budget and nearly two-years behind schedule.
The discovery of toxic soil and a two-year long dispute to find somewhere to dispose of it just one of several major disruptions to have befallen it since the project was first announced in 2015.
When complete, the West Gate Tunnel Project will offer an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, removing an estimated 9,000 trucks from residential streets according to the State Government.
The departure comes as the first parts of the TBMs that will dig the North East Link tunnels have completed their journey by sea to the Port of Melbourne.
Doolan’s Heavy Haulage recently moved the machines to their new home in Watsonia.
Tunnelling is scheduled to commence next year.
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