A massive road header machine was launched that will dig the huge underground cavern for the new State Library Station as part of Melbourne Metro Tunnel project.
The 118-tonne, 15-metre long machine has been lowered almost 30 metres underground in pieces before being re-assembled ahead of digging commencing.
The road header excavating machine fitted with a mounted cutter head will mine out the caverns for both Metro Tunnel CBD stations- State Library and Town Hall. A total of six road headers will be used in the CBD as part of the project, with the first State Library road header starting work on mining out of the A’Beckett Street shaft towards Swanston Street.
Next year, a second road header will start the works from the A’Beckett Street shaft towards La Trobe Street, and a third from Franklin Street east towards A’Beckett Street, as the three machines work together to form State Library Station.
The equivalent of almost 70 Olympic swimming pools of rock and soil will be excavated by the road headers during the construction of State Library Station, which will be located directly beneath Swanston Street, between La Trobe Street and Franklin Street.
The machines will excavate around 1500 tonnes of rock each day, with the cutter head able to smash through rock three times harder than concrete. Each road header includes a highly advanced computer used to accurately excavate the cavern.
Melbourne Metro Tunnel project is a year ahead of schedule, with the first train due to run in 2025.
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