Excavation has begun at the tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch site in Clarinda, Melbourne, ahead of tunnelling for the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East starting later this year.
SRL East will involve 26 kilometres of twin tunnels and six new underground stations being delivered at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.
TBMs will launch from Clarinda to dig the tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley, and from Burwood to dig the tunnels between Glen Waverley and Box Hill.
Excavation has started at the eastern side of the Clarinda launch site, which will l reach a final depth of about 19.5 metres.
Excavation of the western side will start soon, with crews finalising ground preparation works.
Between February and March, nearly 1000 cubic metres of concrete was poured at Clarinda, with crews using a concrete mix designed to reduce carbon emissions.
Construction of the TBM launch site at Burwood is already finished, ready for tunnelling to start this year.
Some 3000 people are currently working on the SRL East project, which is targeting an opening date of 2035.
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