ABSTRACT
The 2 billion (A$) Melbourne City Link is one of Australia’s largest metropolitan road projects. It includes two three-lane vehicular tunnels totaling 5 kilometers, constructed as deep as 60 meters underground. The 1.6-kilometer Domain Tunnel opened to traffic in April 2000, 48 months after construction began, and the 3.4-kilometer Burnley Tunnel is scheduled to open in late 2000. The project was delivered under a design-build-own-operate-transfer process. A number of innovative cut-and-cover techniques were utilized. This paper focuses on the tunnel design and construction techniques used for the project, one of the 21st century’s first great achievements.
