Construction of the 15.6m super-diameter shield of the Northeast Connector tunnel in Melbourne, Australia began

On 19 August 2024, the first of two shields for the Melbourne North East Link tunnel project was ready to start tunneling operations. The project uses a 15.6m super-diameter shield, which is said to be one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The shield will drill 6.5km of tunnels, with plans to drill about 10m per day. Construction will continue until 2026, and the tunnel will open to traffic in 2028.