News No. 7: excavation of the second tunnel in Sydney Bay is officially under construction.
The Sydney subway project is officially under construction in the inner west side of Sydney, and the first of five tunnel excavators has officially begun digging subway tunnels yesterday.
New state governor Gladys Berejiklian came to Sydney`s west side of Marrickville, on Wednesday to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the first tunnel excavator, the Nancy.
Five tunnel excavators will open an eight-kilometer rail tunnel from here to downtown.
`This will be the beginning of Sydney`s major change, `she said.
I remember when I launched my transport vision for the next 20 years in 2012 when we said we would build Sydney`s second harbour tunnel and let the subway pass when people laughed at us and dreamed of it.
Now, the excavation of Sydney`s second harbour tunnel is officially under construction.
Andrew Constance, the director-general of New York`s transportation department, likens Sydney`s express subway projects to London`s and France`s.
He said five worm-like tunnel diggers will start working at the same time and dig out the tunnel soon.
And they work very quietly below, and people on the ground will not feel it.
The first tunnel excavator was named Nancy, to commemorate Australian Airways pioneer Nancy Bird Walton..
Nancy Bird Walton`s daughter Anne Marie Holman, who also attended the celebration yesterday, said my mother would be very excited about the project if she were alive.
Because it will change Sydney`s future.
Nancy and another tunnel excavator will be digging from Marrickville to Sydney`s downtown subway station, train, 8.1km long.
According to the design, the weekly progress of the Nancy tunnel excavator is about 120m.
This new tunnel will pass through Marrickville,:
- Waterloo
- Central
- Pitt Street
- Martin Place
- Barangaroo
Then cross Sydney Harbour to North Sydney.
Two other tunnel excavators will dig a 6.2km tunnel from Chatswood to North Sydney Harbour.
The fifth tunnel excavator will focus on double tunnels under Sydney Bay.
Five tunnel excavators are expected to remove 5.9 million tons of rock below.
This is the equivalent of filling up 940 Olympic swimming pools.
The A $20 billion Sydney Express is expected to be completed and operational in 2024.
