Alice, the Tunnel Boring Machine that has been digging underneath Auckland's western suburbs for 10 months has finally broken into daylight! This is New Zealand's longest road tunnel that will be connecting Auckland's Southwestern and Northwestern motorways, as part of the Waterview Connection Project. Watch the video below, which captures the moment of Alice's appearance.
The newly opened tunnel is the first of the twin road tunnels that will be connecting Auckland's motorways upon completion of the Waterview Project in 2017. The tunnel is the 10th largest diameter tunnel worldwide and with a length of 2.4km, is so far the longest ever opened in New Zealand. Its construction involved digging out about 394,000 cubic meters of soil and the continuous work of the TBM for almost a year. NZTA Auckland highways manager Brett Gliddon said that this is a milestone for the $1.4 billion project which is going to complete the long expected Western Ring Route.
Alice, the 90meter and 3100 tones TBM, will now have to be turned around in order to dig the northbound twin tunnel. Brett Gliddon stated that this would be a feat in itself, considering the sheer size and limited space. Upon their completion, the two tunnels will measure a combined length of 5km and will host a six-lane motorway linking the Great North Road interchange at Waterview to Maioro Street in Mt Roskill, Auckland.
Sources: www.stuff.co.nz, www.tvnz.co.nz, ScoopYouTubeChannel
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