On 28thJuly Airport Link workers were joined  by the winners of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) naming competition to witness the momentous start of TBM tunnelling from the Kalinga Park worksite.
 

 

The massive machines were named Rocksy and Sandy, by 6 year old Emile Braggard and his sister, 4 yearold Lila Braggard.  
 
Thiess John Holland Project Director Gordon Ralph congratulated the children on their winning entry  which was one of 223 received during the seven week competition.
 
“The brother and sister, whose father is an Airport Link tunnelling engineer, came up with the names  after hearing their dad talk about the varied ground conditions, including sand and rock, the machines  will tunnel through on their 2.5km journey from Kalinga Park to Lutwyche,” Mr Ralph said.
 
“Excavation commenced today of the eastbound tunnel by Rocksy, with Sandy scheduled to start next month in the westbound tunnel,” he said.
 
The launch of the first TBM also included the blessing of the patron saint of tunnelling, Saint Barbara by Very Reverend Dr Adrian Farrelly of St Agatha’s Parish at Clayfield. 
 
The statue of St Barbara was placed near the entrance of the Airport Link tunnel to provide good luck  and safety to the workers throughout the twelve month excavation of the TBM tunnel from Kalinga Park to Lutwyche. 
 
The project team is also celebrating the half‐way point of the project’s construction program, with 5  kilometres of Airport Link tunnelling now complete. 
 
“With 10 million hours worked to date I’d like to congratulate the project team on its safe performance  in the tunnels so far and wish the TBM workers a safe journey to Lutwyche,” Mr Ralph said.
 
The projects have surpassed their expected peak employment by an additional 800 workers bringing thejobs total to 3,400. The projects are now expected to also create 12,000 indirect jobs.   
 
Today’s launch of the TBMs, which are the largest of their type to ever operate in Australia ,marked the beginning of the first stage of the launch.  
 
“At 195 metres, Rocksy is longer than Suncorp Stadium and therefore has to be launched in two stages,” Mr Ralph said. 
 
“Stage one will see the front half of Rocksy tunnel approximately 130 metres in four weeks and then  stop for six weeks, whilst the rear of the machine is assembled within the launch box.  

“Once final assembly is complete, Rocksy will begin work again    excavating the tunnel and progressively
installing concrete segments to form the tunnel lining as she moves forward at about 85 metres per  week.
 
“Tunnelling from Kalinga Park to Lutwyche will take approximately 12 months, working around the  clock, seven days a week,” he said. 
 
Extensive monitoring of the ground conditions, vibration and noise will be carried out during excavation.
 Residents will receive direct notification two weeks prior to the TBMs approaching their property and the community relations team will conduct regular doorknocks as tunnelling progresses.
 
“These measures will be undertaken to try to limit the disruption to local residents as much as possible,” he said.
 
Today also marked the start of operation for the custom‐built covered conveyor system, transporting the spoil from the TBMs directly to the project’s spoil handling facility on Nudgee Road.
 
The 1.8km conveyor system will transport up to 2,600 tonnes of spoil per hour, significantly reducing the
number of spoil truck movements on local roads on Brisbane’s northside. 
 
The Airport Link project is being constructed together with the Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron), and the Airport Roundabout Upgrade Project. The combined Airport Link projects are the largest road infrastructure projects currently under construction in Australia. 
 
When it opens in mid 2012, Airport Link will be the first major motorway connecting Brisbane city with
the airport and northern suburbs, avoiding up to 18 sets of traffic lights.