It’s not boring in Melbourne

With tunneling work on the Westgate Alternative Tunnel continuing to be on hold due to soil contamination, news today that the Metro Tunnel has ground to a halt too has the state government scrambling. The Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) at the Westgate stopped turning in November after the discovery of asbestos and PFAS contamination in the soil with contractors and the government desperately working on a solution to process and dispose of the spoil.

AFR is today reporting that Metro Tunnel works are on hold as the Cross Yarra Partnership (Lendlease, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital) and Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) are at loggerheads over reported cost blowouts. Whilst no-one is willing to confirm a number, some estimates have put the overrun on the $11Bn project at up to $3Bn.

Read more at the AFR here.