Premier Mark McGowan and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti today inspected the Forrestfield- Airport Link rail tunnels, walking the new one-kilometre underground tunnel bored by TBM Sandy.
The TBMs have covered a combined length of 2.5 kilometres and are expected to arrive at Airport Central Station in the coming months.
TBM Grace began tunnelling last August, and is travelling an average of 26 metres per day.
The second TBM, Sandy, began tunnelling in October 2017 and is one kilometre into the second tunnel.
As the TBMs progress, 54,000 locally made concrete segments will be installed to line the seven-metre diameter tunnels, creating the tunnel walls.
More than 16,000 of the concrete segments have already been locally manufactured at a purpose-built facility near the project site in Forrestfield.
About 2,000 jobs will be created over the life of the project, including in the manufacturing and construction industries.
Completing the Forrestfield-Airport Link is a key part of the State Government’s METRONET plan, creating a 20-minute direct link between the eastern foothills and the central business district – as well as the wider public transport network – via the airport.
The project is jointly funded by the State and Federal governments.
Image: Public Transport Authority