World's largest TBM en route to Seattle

摘要

Crews in Japan have dismantled the US$80 million TBM that will excavate Seattle's SR99 Alaskan Way tunnel. The disassembly of the world's largest TBM (17.5m in diameter) began after the machine had been assembled and tested at Hitachi Zosen's works in Osaka. TBM 'Bertha' has been broken down into 41 pieces, with some components already loaded for shipping on board the Jumbo Fairpartner, due to leave Japan as World Tunnelling went to press. If all goes well, and the weather is favourable, the machine should arrive in the waters of Elliott Bay, Seattle, by the end of March.