Global Pipe

Project Name: West Gate Tunnel Project

Sub-Project Name: North Yarra Main Sewer

Project Owner: Victoria State Government

Project Contractor: John Holland and CPB Contractors Joint Venture

Project Details: DN3000 HOBAS CC-GRP Jacking Pipe SN64000 – Global Pipe supplied 660m of DN3000 HOBAS CC-GRP Jacking Pipe SN64000, including Inter Jack Lead-in and Trail pipes.

Project Scope: The West Gate Tunnel Project will consist of various works including an upgrade of the West Gate Freeway and the construction of a new road and tunnel connecting the West Gate Freeway with the Port of Melbourne, CityLink and the CBD. The upgraded West Gate Freeway and new road and tunnel, including the new CBD connections, will form the ongoing Western Distributor. The Western Distributor will also include construction of a new city bypass between Dynon Road and Flinders Street, incorporating a widening of Wurundjeri Road.

Global Pipe worked with the project engineering team to supply HOBAS centrifugally cast glass reinforced plastic (CC-GRP) Jacking pipes for the construction of the North Yarra Main Diversion (NYMD) works on the Project between the following shaft locations:

North Portal Launch Shaft, land adjacent to the corner of Whitehall Street and Youell Street, Yarraville
Upstream Connection Shaft, corner of Whitehall Street and Youell Street, Yarraville
Downstream Connection Shaft, corner of Whitehall Street and Somerville Road, Yarraville

Project Background: The West Gate Tunnel Project commenced in 2017 and will be completed by 2022. The project aims to reduce the amount of traffic crossing the West Gate Bridge and provide an alternate route for the 200,000 trucks and vehicles that cross it daily and relieve traffic congestion in surrounding suburban streets.

A new section of the North Yarra Main Sewer is being dug to make way for the new road tunnels. This 600-metre section is being dug by a mini Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which is only 3 metres in diameter, compared to the 15-metre TBMs which will be employed to dig the actual road tunnels. The sewer will remain operational while works are completed as it currently carries 20% of Melbourne’s sewage through the inner western suburbs.

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