Lord Mayor Graham Quirk today announced that Annabell, the first of Legacy Way’s two tunnel boring machines, has reached the one kilometre mark on the 4.6 kilometre tunnel.
The Lord Mayor said this was another major milestone for the project, with Annabell exceeding expectations to date by excavating more than 20 per cent of the
520,000 m³ of rock.
“This time six months ago, the 110 metre long, 2,800 tonne machine was being transported to the western worksite in pieces, where it was reassembled and commissioned,” Cr Quirk said.
“Annabell is now making quicker than expected progress at about 25 metres a day – She was expected to excavate between 10-20 metres per day.
“She is expected to excavate between 10-20 metres per day and has already exceeded this distance on a number of occasions, with the team working around the clock, seven days a week, since tunnelling began in mid-August.”
Cr Quirk said Brisbane was already seeing the economic benefits of Legacy Way with more than two million hours worked across the project since construction started in April 2011 and more than 4,200 different workers inducted to the site.
“Legacy Way will have significant benefits, not only for motorists and our transport network but also for the local economy,” Cr Quirk said.
“More than 4,200 staff and workers, sub-contractors and specialists in a range of fields have been inducted on Legacy Way.
“We have international tunnelling experts on the project partnering with local construction companies, which will enhance the knowledge and skill base in our local economy and allow international companies to establish their organisations locally to attract investment and job creation.”
To date more than 120,000 m³ of rock and dirt has been excavated by Annabell, while a total of 4500 precast concrete segments, each weighing 7.5 tonnes, have been installed to date.
Cr Quirk said the project’s second TBM, Joyce, was also making significant inroads, and it is hoped she will follow Annabell’s lead in progressing faster than expected.
“Joyce was launched on October 5th and is now 200 metres into her journey and currently beneath the Toowong Cemetery,” he said.
Legacy Way is Brisbane City Council’s 4.6km road tunnel that will connect the Western Freeway at Toowong with the Inner City Bypass (ICB) at Kelvin Grove. Once open in 2015, Legacy Way will almost halve peak hour travel times between the Centenary Bridge and the ICB.
Cr Quirk acknowledged the Federal Government’s support for the project through $500 million in funding under the Nation Building Program.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said after several years of detailed planning, extensive community consultations and preconstruction activities, it was great to see this important project well underway.
“We recognise that the task of modernising and expanding the City’s road, rail and public transport infrastructure is too big for any one level of government,” he said.
“That’s why we have partnered with Brisbane City Council on the Legacy Way project, and we are determined to get the job done.”
Mr Albanese said Legacy Way was just one of a number Federally-funded projects being rolled out across Australia’s fastest growing region.
“Already we have committed $6.5 billion to modernising and expanding south east Queensland’s road, rail and public transport infrastructure. This is an unprecedented level of Federal investment in the region,” he said.