Massive tunnel boring machines carving out Melbourne's North East Link have passed the halfway point of their underground journey.
TBM Gillian and TBM Zelda have now excavated nearly 60 per cent of the North East Link three-lane twin tunnels between Watsonia and Bulleen.
When complete, the tunnels will redirect 15,000 trucks off local roads each day and cut travel times by up to 35 minutes across the city’s north-east.
North East Link
- What: Tunnel boring machines pass halfway mark on Melbourne’s North East Link tunnels
- When: Completion expected 2028
- Where: Watsonia to Bulleen, Melbourne’s north-east
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Both machines kicked off their subterranean trek in Watsonia back in 2024. Measuring 15.6 metres in diameter and stretching 90 metres long, the pair have each travelled more than three kilometres so far. Along the way, they’ve installed over 25,000 pre-cast concrete tunnel segments manufactured in Benalla.
Work on the 6.5 kilometre twin tunnels will continue throughout 2025, with the machines set to break through at the future Manningham interchange site next year. Once finished, these will become Victoria’s longest twin road tunnels.
Beyond the tunnel work, the first permanent section of the new Bulleen Road interchange is now open on the Eastern Freeway. Construction crews are also busy at the Manningham interchange, preparing the site for the arrival of the tunnel boring machines.
More than 8,000 people are currently working across North East Link, with apprentices, trainees and cadets clocking up 10 per cent of all work hours. The project is expected to create over 12,000 jobs in total before wrapping up in 2028.
North East Link is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments as part of a broader package that includes the M80 Ring Road Completion and Eastern Freeway Upgrades.
For more information, head here.
