Ahole recently opened up just ahead of the 6.68m diameter TBM excavating below Oxford Road, Johannesburg, for part of the Gautrain tunnel project, being built by contractor Bombela Civils JV. Ground over where the shield was approaching was softened due to a leaking sewer in early July and a hole, which was 12m long by 7m wide, eventually developed before the pipeline was isolated. The road has since been repaired but concerns over the condition of utilities then instigated a regime of road closures into this month as the TBM was cleared to continue tunnelling (T&TI, July news). The TBM (S-386) was manufactured by Herrenknecht and will drive just over 2,820m on the project.
Hole in road over TBM driving Gautrain tunnel, South Africa
