The first of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) components for South Australia’s biggest infrastructure project have arrived in Adelaide.
Their delivery marks a major milestone in the SA and Federal Government’s $15.4 billion non-stop North-South Corridor project.
The shipment includes a massive TBM cutterhead delivered in five pieces, with the largest and heaviest centre section weighing around 175 tonnes and measuring nine metres in diameter. Once assembled, it is approximately 15 metres in diameter, roughly the height of the AFL goalposts at the Adelaide Oval.
“The arrival of these first TBM components is more than just a delivery; it’s the next step in a project that will reshape South Australia’s transport future,” said SA Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Emily Bourke.
“The TBMs will be the largest infrastructure equipment in the state. Each will be approximately 100 metres in length and the cutterhead will be 15 metres tall.
“This colossal cargo made a safe voyage and now it’s time to make history underground.
“These machines will drive real progress, supporting local jobs and helping deliver a non-stop South Road that will reshape the way we move through Adelaide.”
The components will be transported on Saturday night from Port Adelaide to the River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project Southern Precinct in Clovelly Park, requiring progressive road closures. They will then be reassembled and commissioned ahead of tunnelling works starting in the second half of 2026.
The T2D Project is being jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments and is expected to support around 5,500 jobs per year during construction, with 90% of labour hours to be undertaken by South Australians.
In total, three large-scale TBMs, each over 100 metres long, will be used to construct the twin 4.5-kilometre Southern Tunnels and twin 2.2-kilometre Northern Tunnels, as part of the $15.4 billion build.
Two TBMs will launch from the project’s Southern Precinct in Clovelly Park, while the third is set to launch from the Central North Precinct at Richmond, making the T2D Project an Australian first of three TBMs operating at the same time.
Once complete, the T2D Project will create a non-stop South Road, allowing motorists to bypass 21 sets of traffic lights and cut travel times by up to 40 minutes in peak traffic.
