Tunnel boring machine assembly underway at Anzac Station

Construction of the Metro Tunnel Project is moving into the next exciting phase with assembly of two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) underway in Domain. Pieces of TBMs Millie and Alice – named after Victoria’s first female Member of Parliament, Millie Peacock, and wartime medical hero Alice Appleford – began arriving at the site of the new Anzac Station on St Kilda Rd late last year. TBM Millie is already taking shape 20 metres underground inside the excavated station box, where assembly is expected to take several months. Following assembly, commissioning of the electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems will take place before the TBMs are launched towards the eastern tunnel entrance in South Yarra in the first half of this year. The acoustic shed constructed over the work site will contain tunnelling operations once they start, minimising noise, dust and light. The TBMs will travel approximately 10 metres per day and will feature distinctly coloured cutter heads – yellow for Millie, and green for Alice. In the west, TBMs Joan and Meg have been tunnelling from North Melbourne to Kensington since mid-2019 and TBM Joan is expected to break through at the western tunnel entrance in February, completing the first leg of her journey. Metro Tunnel HQ open all summer Metro Tunnel HQ – the project’s visitor centre on Swanston St – is open all summer. A popular spot in the heart of the city, Metro Tunnel HQ has clocked more than 100,000 visitors since it opened in mid-2018, with numbers expected to top 200,000 by the end of the year.  January was a busy month for the HQ team, with more than 600 visitors recorded in a single day. Current attractions include the latest archaeological display featuring Chinese artefacts from the Victorian mining boom including teapots and opium pipe bowls. Artefacts were discovered during archaeological investigations in the CBD before Metro Tunnel construction. The 2018 dig yielded interesting finds including an assortment of old teeth, children’s toys and jewellery.  Visitors can also enjoy a virtual reality tour inside a tunnel and interactive activities for kids, including a Mini Melbourne Minecraft game. The HQ team is on hand seven days a week to answer questions about the project with maps and brochures to help illustrate progress to date.  Metro Tunnel HQ is located 125-133 Swanston St across the road from the Melbourne Town Hall. Open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday • For more information visit: metrotunnel.vic.gov.au