Waterview Connection: TBM Alice has started its second drive

In mid-December 2014, one of the world‘s largest tunnel boring machines started its second drive for the large-scale “Waterview Connection” project in Auckland, New Zealand. In the heart of the metropolis, the Herrenknecht EPB Shield S-764 is creating the shell for a road tunnel that will link two of the main State Highways together. In March 2013, Herrenknecht delivered the TBM to the companies Fletcher Construction, McConnell Dowell and Obayashi.

The tunnel boring machine Alice – named after the main character of “Alice in Wonderland” – excavated the first 2.4 km long tunnel in just eleven months, with best performances of 126 m per week and 452 m per month. On September 29 the boring shield with a diameter of 14.46 m finally broke through the wall to the first target shaft in Waterview.

“This is a fantastic achievement. Our construction partners on the Well-Connected Alliance completed the breakthrough safely and ahead of schedule,” Brett Gliddon, New Zealand Transport Agency’s Highway Manager, said afterwards. “It is a huge...

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