A new Sydney Metro West precinct has been confirmed for Pyrmont, with planning approval granted for a 31-storey development above the future metro station.
The go-ahead for the project, which will have room for 160 residential apartments, comes as two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) cut through solid rock to arrive in the Pyrmont station cavern.
The TBMs are carving out the 2.3-kilometre section of Metro West tunnels from The Bay and will spend five weeks traversing the cavern, which is 24 metres below ground.
They will then undergo maintenance ahead of starting their last stretch of tunnelling, under Darling Harbour to Hunter Street in the Sydney CBD.
To arrive at Pyrmont, the 1,100-tonne machines have completed one of the most complex digs on the Sydney Metro West project, moving within 25 metres of the Anzac Bridge, under Johnstons Bay and through the complex geographical ground of the Luna Park Fault Zone.
The two TBMs broke through to the cavern on the same day, five hours apart, marking a milestone for the tunnelling team.
It was the second double TBM breakthrough on this project – the first one was achieved when TBMs Daphne and Beatrice broke through two minutes apart to arrive at the site of the future Five Dock Station in December 2023.
Sydney Metro said Pyrmont Station and the over-station development will “contribute to the vibrancy of Sydney’s Pyrmont peninsula” and make it easier for passengers to access the area.
“The precinct will unlock the western harbour foreshore currently undergoing a wider transformation, with metro set to be on the doorstep of emerging landmarks, including the new Harbourside precinct, Sydney Fish Market and Blackwattle Bay,” a spokesperson said.
“The new development has been designed to seamlessly integrate with the station below, while the approved building will feature five levels of commercial and retail opportunities within the building podium, as well as residential spaces above.”
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