North East Link tunnelling milestone: design and safety notes for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on Roads & Infrastructure (AU)
30 Second Briefing
Tunnelling on Victoria’s North East Link is now complete, with TBM Gillian breaking through on the southbound tunnel from Watsonia to Bulleen after the northbound drive finished earlier in 2026. The project delivers twin road tunnels scheduled to open to traffic in 2028, forming the key underground section of the M80–Eastern Freeway connection. Completion of excavation shifts the focus to lining, waterproofing, fire and life-safety systems, and integration with surface interchanges, critical for final geotechnical monitoring and long-term structural performance.
Technical Brief
- TBM Gillian executed the southbound drive between Watsonia and Bulleen, completing the second bore.
- Twin-bore configuration inherently separates traffic streams, simplifying fire compartmentation and smoke management design.
- Completion of mechanical excavation removes pressurised-face risks, shifting safety focus to fit-out and confined-space works.
- Interfaces at Watsonia and Bulleen portals remain critical zones for ventilation, egress and drainage integration.
- Longitudinal tunnel geometry under dense suburbs constrains emergency access spacing and cross-passage layout.
Our Take
The North East Link project in Victoria sits alongside the Ruthven Street and Diggers Rest level crossing removals in our database, signalling a sustained Victorian Government push to separate road and rail movements around Melbourne’s north and north‑east corridors.
With opening to traffic targeted for 2028, this project will likely intersect with the Victorian Government’s broader safety initiatives highlighted in the TAC grant article, meaning design decisions around Watsonia and Bulleen are being made in a policy environment that strongly prioritises road trauma reduction.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Tunnelling
Specialised solutions for tunnelling projects including grout mix design, hydrogeological analysis, and quality control.
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
QCDB-io
Comprehensive quality control database for manufacturing, tunnelling, and civil construction with UCS testing, PSD analysis, and grout mix design management.