Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have broken through at the future Airport Terminal Station, marking a significant milestone in CPB Contractors' joint venture delivery of the first section of twin tunnels for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.
TBM Eileen achieved the project's first breakthrough in July 2023, when her cutterhead emerged through the rock wall of the station box. Since launching at the Airport Business Park site, TBM Eileen has excavated approximately 112,000 tonnes of rock, which is enough to fill about 18 Olympic swimming pools.
TBM Peggy followed suit, breaking through at the Airport Terminal site in August 2023. The two 1,066-tonne machines tunnelled at an average speed of 120 metres per week, each building 1.26 kilometres of fully lined tunnels between the Airport Business Park and Airport Terminal station sites.
293,000 tonnes of rock (equivalent to 47 Olympic swimming pools) had to be excavated to construct the 25-metre-deep Airport Terminal station box in preparation for the TBM arrivals.
CPB Contractors is delivering the Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport, Station Boxes and Tunnelling Works for the Australian and NSW Governments in a joint venture.
The project involves the design and construction of 9.8 kilometres of twin tunnels and excavations for stations at St Marys, Orchard Hills, Airport Terminal Station, Aerotropolis Station and service facilities at Bringelly and Claremont Meadows.