Development of Montreal’s long-awaited blue line metro extension is shifting into the underground section.
An enormous 9.7-metre large tunnel boring machine was unveiled Monday. It would dig by means of rock to create the tunnel from the longer term Vertières station to the Anjou station — a stretch of 4.6 kilometres.
Whereas officers say related machines have been used extensively in Europe, that is the primary time one will likely be used to construct a Montreal metro tunnel.
“It’s a historic second at present. We’re actually thrilled to be right here at present,” mentioned Aref Salem, chairman of the board of administrators of the STM.
An enormous slicing wheel will quickly start digging by means of the earth, carving out the tunnels.
“It has, I suppose you’ll be able to name them enamel,” mentioned Maha Clour, the manager challenge director of the STM Blue Line Undertaking. “So as soon as it turns, it grinds the rocks.”
As soon as the machine breaks aside the rocks, it sends them again by means of the within of the drill to be deposited on the Vertières station development website.
It’s being described as an “engineering feat hardly ever seen” within the province because it each excavates and finishes the tunnel in a single go.
The machine is anticipated to excavate the rock at a mean fee of 10 to fifteen metres per day. Tunnelling received’t cease till the work is full — sooner or later in 2028.
The tunnel boring machine arrived in Quebec in October and wanted to be assembled. The parts have been lately efficiently lowered to roughly 20 metres under floor degree.
“Which signifies that we received’t ever hear it and even really feel it as soon as it’s travelling below Jean-Talon East Avenue,” Clour defined.
As soon as the tunnelling is finished, the machine will likely be returned to German producer Herrenknecht.
A handful of presidency officers have been available for the revealing of the equipment Monday, together with Salem, Quebec Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Jonatan Julien, and Quebec Minister answerable for the Metropolis and the Montreal area Chantal Rouleau.
They are saying Montreal’s East Finish has waited roughly 40 years for the challenge to maneuver ahead.
After being mentioned for many years, the challenge was greenlit in 2018 and development formally started in 2024.
“We’re in time, in funds. It’s crucial for us,” Rouleau mentioned.
All the blue line extension challenge, which has a price ticket of $7.6 billion, received’t be full earlier than 2031. It would add 5 stations to the blue line, with names paying tribute to women and communities which have marked Montreal’s historical past.
“It’s a game-changer for the east of Montreal,” Salem mentioned. “We’re including 5 stations. We’re on time, on funds to date.”