Webuild, as part of the Spark North East Link, is proud to announce the breakthrough of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Zelda in Bulleen on Sunday, marking the completion of excavation of the northbound tunnel on Victoria’s biggest ever road project.

TBM Zelda and her sister machine Gillian were launched from Watsonia in August 2024 to excavate the twin three-lane tunnels that will form the North East Link tunnels.

Since commencing her journey, TBM Zelda has excavated 5.2 kilometres of tunnel and installed more than 21,000 concrete segments to construct the tunnel lining. Her breakthrough represents a major milestone for the project and for the thousands of people contributing to this transformative infrastructure development.

TBM Gillian, which is excavating the southbound tunnel, has already completed approximately 4.5 kilometres of tunnelling and installed more than 18,000 concrete segments. With around 86 per cent of her journey now complete, Gillian is expected to break through in the coming months.

The milestone was celebrated by project teams on-site, alongside Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan and Transport Minister Catherine King, who attended to mark the occasion.

In a media statement, the Premier said: “This breakthrough is a major step towards fixing the missing link in Melbourne’s road network. This project will deliver faster journeys, less congestion and get Victorians home sooner.”

Both TBMs are state-of-the-art engineering machines, each measuring 15.6 metres in diameter, extending more than 90 metres in length and weighing over 4,000 tonnes. Designed specifically for the project, the machines have worked around the clock to excavate the tunnels safely and efficiently.

The North East Link is a game-changing infrastructure project that will significantly enhance Melbourne’s transport network. Once complete, it will deliver Victoria’s longest road tunnels and connect the Eastern Freeway to the M80 Ring Road, providing a link in the city’s freeway network. The project is expected to remove approximately 15,000 trucks from local roads every day, reduce congestion, improve safety and cut travel times by up to 35 minutes.

Beyond the transport benefits, the project is supporting thousands of jobs and creating long-term economic and social benefits for the Victorian community. 

Excavation works are expected to be completed in 2026, with the North East Link tunnels scheduled to open to traffic in 2028.