October 10, 2017 – Australian newspaper The West Australian publishes the first images of the tunnel being excavated under the city of Perth as part of the Forrestfield-Airport Link project.

The AUD$1.86-billion project, being developed by a joint-venture led by Salini Impregilo, will help Perth alleviate traffic congestion by extending the underground public transport network and connecting the eastern part of the city to the airport.

The images show how the tunnel is being lined with concrete rings, at a rate of about 13 a day. About 9,000 will be used to form the walls of two eight-kilometres tunnels of the project.

“It’s very exciting to see the first images from inside the first tunnel,” Transport Minister for Western Australia Rita Saffioti is quoted as saying in the newspaper. “Tunnel Boring Machine Grace is currently hurtling along at a speed of about 20m a day as she makes her way towards Bayswater.”

The TBM Grace, launched at the end of July, has completed the first 500 metres of the first parallel tunnel, passing under the existing rail line. Thanks to a 18-member team, it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Sandy, the second TBM, will start excavating in the next weeks.

Work is to be completed by 2020.

In Australia, Salini Impregilo is also working on the Sydney Metro Northwest that will improve transport between the city's northwest and the central business district. 

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