$1.86B Forrestfield Airport Link tunnelling breakthrough

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Grace broke through at the Bayswater dive structure, a new millstone for the construction of the Forrestfield Airport Link.

$20 million TBM Grace began her journey from Forrestfield in July 2017 and since then she has tunnelled under Perth Airport and the Swan River. So far she has travelled over eight kilometres down to depths of 26 metres in diverse ground conditions.

The Forrestfield Airport Link tunnelling also marks the longest rail tunnel ever attempted in WA.

TBM Grace is retiring from the job and will be taken apart ad removed from the dive structure in preparation for the arrival of TBM Sandy, who aims to continue the tunnelling in mid 2020.

This will then mark the completion of tunnelling for the Salini Impregilo – NRW Joint Venture on the Forrestfield-Airport Link project.

Other parts of the project are progressing, including the construction of the station and Skybridge at Perth Airport, as well as the preparation for laying the new rail tracks.

Construction of the first stage of the track slab within the tunnels is more than 40 per cent complete. The second stage of the track slab, including installation of the rail, will start mid-2020.

The project will create an estimated 2,000 new jobs during the construction phase.

Trains are expected to be operational by late 2021. The project will provide a 20-minute rail link between the eastern foothills, Perth Airport and the city.