John Holland, the Melbourne-based engineering and construction firm, ended 2016 with a flying start on the first major Melbourne Metro Tunnel contract, a A$324-million (US$233 million) early-works package, as part of preparations for the tunnel and the new underground stations in the city’s Central Business District (CBD). The work includes excavating two massive, 35-meter-deep shafts adjacent to Swanston Street, located in the center of the Victoria state capital. The A$11-billion ($7.9 billion) Melbourne Metro Rail project will be the largest-ever single engineering project undertaken in the state of Victoria.
Stephen Shaddock, director of early works for the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA), says, "Shaft construction is an incredibly complex job, made even more challenging by the fact we’re doing it in the middle of Melbourne’s busy Central Business District. We’re digging 35-meter-deep holes in the heart of the city."