Sydney airport metro tunneling contract awarded
Sydney Metro has awarded a $A1.8 billion contract to CPB Contractors and Ghella Joint Venture to excavate 9.8 km (6.1 miles) of dual-bore tunnel as part of the Western Sydney Airport project.
The driverless 23-km (14.2 mile) metro line will link St Marys to the center of the new Aerotropolis via the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, with six stations to be built along the alignment.
The contract is split in two sections: the 4.3-km (2.6-mile) northern tunnels run from St Marys to Orchard Hills; and the 5.5-km (3.4-mile) southern section of tunnels runs between the Airport Business Park and the Aerotropolis Station.
The Station Boxes and Tunnelling contract includes:
- 9.8 km (6.1 miles) of twin rail tunnels in two sections. The 4.3-km (2.6-miles) northern tunnels run from St Marys to Orchard Hills and the 5.5-km (3.4-mile) southern section of tunnels runs between the Airport Business Park and the Aerotropolis Station;
- Excavation and civil works for new stations at St Marys, Orchard Hills, Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, and Aerotropolis;
- Four hard rock tunnel boring machines (TBM);
- Building one of the two temporary precast concrete factories for the project on the Western Sydney International site;
- More than 67,000 concrete segments to line the twin tunnels;
- Two TBM launch sites at Orchard Hills and Western Sydney International and two TBM retrieval sites at St Marys and Aerotropolis Station.
The first of four TBMs will be in the ground by early 2023 under the terms of the contract. Tunneling is scheduled for completion by late 2024 when fit out will commence.