Major excavation work has begun as part of a construction blitz on Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project at South Yarra Station.
Critical works to build the roof and foundations Metro Tunnel’s eastern entrance structure are underway, with more than 160 metres of track, ballast and overhead signalling to be removed.
More than 400 cubic metres of concrete will be poured to install the elements of the roof and the approach slab for the tunnel entrance, as well as complete piling to provide structural support for the tunnel’s descent.
Upon completion the works will be buried, and tracks reinstated to allow trains to resume operation.
Crews will also install 1600 metres of cabling along the tracks between South Yarra and Windsor station for signalling, power and telecommunications.
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The works follow previous progress made in April when the construction team demolished the William Street Bridge, poured the first roof slab for the tunnel entrance and removed 13,000 cubic metres of rock and soil to widen the rail corridor and install 88 concrete piles.
Two tunnel boring machines will be launched later this year from the St Kilda Road site of the new Anzac Station towards South Yarra to connect the tunnel entrance.
Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the creation if the tunnel entrance will be a major step forward in linking the Sunbury and Cranbourne Pakenham lines to add capacity for more than half a million extra trips on the network every week.
“While construction teams are working here to create the eastern tunnel entrance, crews are also hard at work at sites across the city on this massive project to transform Melbourne’s metro train network,” Allan said.
“We’ve made huge progress on the eastern entrance – that will continue during this construction blitz as we get ready for major excavation under the Sandringham line.”