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Milestone TBM success on Vienna U2 line
Pile removal for Hudson River Tunnel TBMs US - A Change Order to remove about 500 riverbed wooden piles has been made to de-risk future TBM boring for the Hudson River Tunnel in New York. The Gateway Development Commission
(GDC) approved the additional work in the Hudson River Ground Stabilisation (HRGS) contract, which started in 2024. The riverbed piles are located in the
Pier 68 area. The pier was built for rail freight in the late 1880s and demolished after fire damage in the 1960s. HRGS contractor Weeks Marine did pile removal trials in 2025 and those works under the Change Order are to start in late 2026. In April, GDC awarded the Hudson River
Tunnel construction package to a JV of Traylor, Walsh and Skanska. ‘Two mixed-use TBMs are to be used to bore the twin-tube Hudson River Tunnel.
The U2/17-21 consortium achieves milestone TBM breakthrough on Vienna’s U2 line extension. PHOTO CREDIT: Porr.
AUSTRIA - A tunnelling milestone was recently achieved on construction of Vienna’s U2 metro line with final TBM breakthrough by the Strabag-Porr consortium to complete the second and final drive from Matzleinsdorfer Platz to Augustinplatz. The consortium, Arge U2/17-21, has been using the single EPB TBM, ‘Debohra’, to drive two tunnels – Track 1 and Track 2 – from Matzleinsdorfer Platz to Augustinplatz. The 6.84m-diameter Herrenknecht
TBM began boring on the first drive – for Track 2 – in Q3 2024 and completed the 2.1km-long excavation, at Augustinplatz, in July 2025. Before the TBM was relaunched
to excavate the Track 1 tunnel, parts of the machine were lifted out of the ground and returned along the surface to Matzleinsdorfer Platz, while the trailing gear was pulled back through the built tunnel to the launch site. They were reconnected and prepared for the tunnel drive to build Track 1. The two tracks were bored
through Vienna Tegel clay soil. The excavated material was removed via the central shaft at Matzleinsdorfer Platz –which was previously constructed using NATM and artificial ground freezing (AGF). Wiener Linien’s U2xU5 project, which
includes the southward extension of the U2 line and construction of the new U5 line, is one of Vienna’s largest infrastructure investments. The U2/17-21 consortium’s
contract includes the construction of the U2 line’s tunnels and four stations: Matzleinsdorfer Platz and three intermediate stations – Reinprechtsdorfer Straße, Pilgramgasse and Neubaugasse. Porr CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss
said the U2 expansion would make a significant contribution to sustainable transport development. He said: “The final breakthrough
marks the achievement of a key milestone. It is particularly important to me that we were able to carry out this challenging phase of the project with a high level of safety. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the employees, our joint venture partner and Wiener Linien for this collective achievement.” Strabag board member Gerhard
Urschitz said: “This success is the result of engineering excellence, precise planning, sophisticated technical solutions and the extraordinary dedication of everyone involved in the project. Close collaboration between the teams played a vital role in advancing this complex infrastructure project safely and successfully.”
Antwerp advances Oosterweel BELGIUM - Construction for Antwerp’s Channel Tunnels recently saw first concrete poured for the tunnel floor under the Albert Canal. Excavations behind cofferdams to create
a 29m-deep channel were under way for two years before concrete pours began. The Channel Tunnels are a key element
of the Oosterweel Link project, consisting of four tubes, stacked in pairs. They will connect the Oosterweel junction – located in the Antwerp port area at the level of the Noordkasteel – with the Antwerp Ring and are due to open in 2033. The other major part of Antwerp Ring is the Scheldt Tunnel.
Gamuda JV in Taiwan metro win TAIWAN – A Gamuda-led JV has won civils and M&E contracts for the Xiaogang-Linyuan Line project, under development as part of Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). The contract includes three underground
stations, one elevated station, almost 3.9km of twin tunnels and six cross-passages. The JV is with Taiwan-based Shang
Ting Construction. The construction period is just over
seven years. Gamuda delivered the MRT Orange Line
Package C04, and is on the Kaohsiung MRT Yellow Line Package YC01. The company has been in the Taiwanese infrastructure market since 2002.
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