North East Link

Going on holiday? Just returned with pictures or news? Found an interesting website? Post everything international in here.

Moderator: Site Management Team

Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

Peter Freeman wrote: Sun Jun 02, 2019 08:33
jackal wrote: Sat Sep 29, 2018 04:50 An existing TBM can be re-used in certain circumstances: https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/service ... hment.html
I was recently informed, reliably, that the four TBMs imminently to be launched for the Melbourne Metro (rail) project will be re-used soon afterwards. There's no definitive next project yet, but I can guess several candidates.
All four TBM's are now tunnelling for the Melbourne Metro. It appears most likely that they will be re-used for Melbourne's 'Suburban Rail Loop' project.
https://suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au/
Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

Chris5156 wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2020 17:54
Peter Freeman wrote: Thu Mar 05, 2020 12:04I'm not sure why the difference arises, but we'd do it [road tunneling] and you won't (and I'm not saying you should).
In part it's a question of whether you want to encourage more people to drive and whether your city could sustain that. London has a population density more than ten times that of Sydney ... * Sydney has ~400 people per square kilometre, ... a lower population density even than Los Angeles County, which is by anyone's standards sprawling and car-dependent.

So yes, you could make a case for building tunnelled motorways under London, like those built in Sydney, but ...

I don't think it's about the lack of will to dig tunnels; it's about how much motor traffic it's desirable to have in a city as old and as dense as London is.
Yes, all very true. But I'm not suggesting that London, or the UK generally, should build (many) NEW roads in tunnels. I do believe that it is the answer to some issues that currently seem to be in the too-hard basket.

A prime example is completing (or virtually completing) grade separation of the A406. This is not a decision "do I want to make a safe high capacity road around the north side of mid-suburban London". That decision was made about 70 years ago. The road's already there, and the job's almost done. I could be missing some detailed engineering snags, but Henly's Corner and Bounds Green both appear to have ample nearby space to make even cut-and-cover tunnelling feasible. Hardly any property acquisition, just temporary major ground disturbance. It's really not hard.

But I say once again - AU would, and does, but UK doesn't, and won't.
Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

Peter Freeman wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 08:55
Peter Freeman wrote: Sun Jun 02, 2019 08:33
jackal wrote: Sat Sep 29, 2018 04:50 An existing TBM can be re-used in certain circumstances: https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/service ... hment.html
I was recently informed, reliably, that the four TBMs imminently to be launched for the Melbourne Metro (rail) project will be re-used soon afterwards. There's no definitive next project yet, but I can guess several candidates.
All four TBM's are now tunnelling for the Melbourne Metro. It appears most likely that they will be re-used for Melbourne's 'Suburban Rail Loop' project.
https://suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au/
The four TBM's working on Melbourne Metro (rail) have just completed their work. Information in the official announcement was that there are plans to "re-purpose" them for another project. A fascinating footnote was that the "skins" will remain in the ground and form part of the permanent tunnel lining, with the insides being removed!
Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

The N.E.L. main tunnelling contract is now under way, after a year or so of 'early works' spent shifting services, building a park-n-ride, etc. A consortium called 'Spark' will undertake the first and critical section that includes the tunnel. Their tender provided a design with significant improvements over the refence design, including increasing the tunnel length and decreasing the trenched-with-green-bridges length. TBM's are on order, the launch box is being piled, and tunnelling will commence in 2024. Completion date is 2028.
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/no ... nk-program
Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

The most detailed map that I've seen for final-form NEL is here -
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/no ... unnels/map
(then scroll down to the map)

Only the under-construction tunnel section is included, not yet the associated M3 or M80 improvements. Also, it primarily shows ground-level works above the tunnel, including portals, but not the tunnel itself (there's not much to see down there). The image is highly zoomable - you can see the road-marking details.
User avatar
Truvelo
Member
Posts: 17456
Joined: Wed May 29, 2002 21:10
Location: Staffordshire
Contact:

Re: North East Link

Post by Truvelo »

The GSJ at the southern end looks really impressive, especially when comparing the existing M3 which will be twice as wide when complete. I wish we had as much enthusiasm for this sort of thing in urban areas as we had in the 60's.
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.
Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

Work on the next NEL section (Ring Road Completion) is now beginning -
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/nor ... ember-2023
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/asse ... r-2023.pdf

Also kicking off is the upgrade to the middle part of Eastern Freeway -
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/north- ... ay-and-m80

The inner end and outer end of the Eastern Freeway will be the 4th and 5th (final) contracts. They will not begin for a couple of years yet.
Last edited by Peter Freeman on Sat Feb 10, 2024 11:54, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
KeithW
Member
Posts: 19178
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 13:25
Location: Marton-In-Cleveland North Yorks

Re: North East Link

Post by KeithW »

Peter Freeman wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2020 11:54
Yes, all very true. But I'm not suggesting that London, or the UK generally, should build (many) NEW roads in tunnels. I do believe that it is the answer to some issues that currently seem to be in the too-hard basket.

A prime example is completing (or virtually completing) grade separation of the A406. This is not a decision "do I want to make a safe high capacity road around the north side of mid-suburban London". That decision was made about 70 years ago. The road's already there, and the job's almost done. I could be missing some detailed engineering snags, but Henly's Corner and Bounds Green both appear to have ample nearby space to make even cut-and-cover tunnelling feasible. Hardly any property acquisition, just temporary major ground disturbance. It's really not hard.

But I say once again - AU would, and does, but UK doesn't, and won't.
More to the point TfL don't want it and they call the shots.
Peter Freeman
Member
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:52
Location: Exits 9 & 10, M1 East, Melbourne, Australia

Re: North East Link

Post by Peter Freeman »

Five pre-loved roadheader machines have been transferred from Melbourne's Metro Tunnel (rail) project, where they've completed their work, to the North East Link project. They have begun digging the middle section of the M80 tunnels.

To explain, the NEL has three adjoining lengths of twin tunnel, each with a different construction method -

Northern 5km: Bored, with a cut-and-cover cavern halfway along, which the TBMs will have to cross. TBM parts have arrived at the portal site, and are soon to be assembled.
Middle 1km: SEM (sequential excavation method, formerly known as New Austrian Tunnelling Method). Started.
Southern 0.5km: Cut and Cover. Work has started on the Green Bridge that will house the portal and the southbound ventilation exhaust.
Post Reply