Sandvik is set to play a major part in delivering a tunnelling project to make getting around Sydney easier for commuters.
Stage two of the Western Harbour Tunnel project is well underway, and infrastructure company ACCIONA has purchased four Sandvik tunnelling roadheaders to push the project toward completion.
Two Sandvik MT720s and two MT721s will be used to excavate the sandstone to create a stretch of twin tunnel underground, making it safer and easier for people to travel through the city.
The first Sandvik roadheader is already onsite and has commenced excavation, with the remaining machines due for delivery in 2024.
“This is a major piece of infrastructure for Sydney,” Sandvik business line manager for mechanical cutting Drew Taylor said.
“ACCIONA has been awarded the contract to deliver stage two of the project and they, in turn, are relying on Sandvik roadheaders to fulfil the critical role of materials excavation north of the Harbour.
“These machines are the flagship product of our roadheader range and are engineered to cut hard and abrasive rock with a compressive strength of up to 180 MPa in exceptional cases.
“One of their key selling points is their throughput, which is a lot higher than almost all the competitors. They help achieve target excavation rates while also maintaining extremely high levels of safety and operator comfort.”
Once complete, the project with comprise of 6.5km of twin three-lane tunnels from the Warringah Freeway in Cammeray to the WestConnex interchange at Rozelle, alleviating congestion on the Anzac Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel.