Webuild, as part of Terra Verde Joint Venture, is proud to mark the start of major construction on Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East at the Burwood site. This is a significant milestone in delivering one of Victoria’s most transformative public transport and housing projects.

The milestone, announced by Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Harriet Shing, marks the transition from early works to main construction. 

At the Burwood site, Terra Verde Joint Venture has commenced works to prepare the 19-metre-deep launch shaft to support the tunnelling works that will begin next year. Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will launch from Burwood towards Glen Waverley, with another two launching towards Box Hill.

In the coming months, works will focus on building the critical infrastructure to support tunnelling and the new underground station, following extensive relocation of underground services.

The future SRL Burwood station will connect Deakin University to Melbourne’s rail network for the first time, improving access for thousands of students and staff, and creating seamless connections with local tram and bus services.

Once complete, SRL will make it faster and easier for Victorians to access jobs, housing, health and education services, reducing travel times and easing congestion across the network.

SRL will deliver lasting benefits for local communities and future generations and is expected to create up to 8,000 direct local jobs, with more than 3,000 people already working on the project.

Marco Assorati, Webuild Senior Executive Vice President Operations Oceania, said:

Webuild is proud to be part of this landmark infrastructure project that will transform the way people move around Melbourne. The commencement of major works at Burwood is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our teams and partners, and reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable, transport solutions for Victoria.

Webuild is leading the joint venture with a 33.5% stake. Its partners include GS E&C of South Korea and Bouygues Construction Australia of France’s Bouygues. Commissioned by Suburban Rail Loop Authority, the joint venture’s contract entails the excavation of two parallel tunnels for nearly 10 kilometres between the future stations of Box Hill and Glen Waverley; the creation of 39 cross passages between them; two station boxes; two tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch sites; and one intervention and ventilation shaft. The tunnels will be excavated using TBMs.

The contract builds on Webuild’s legacy in Melbourne, where its predecessor was a major contributor to the delivery of the tunnels and stations built for the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop, a major infrastructure project that opened in 1985.

Webuild is also part of the joint venture delivering the tunnels for the state’s North East Link, a major section of the freeway network. With the SRL East contract, it is once again bringing its tunnelling leadership to Victoria. Globally, Webuild currently operates approximately 60 TBMs on major projects. 

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