A shortlist of four international construction companies and joint ventures has been invited to tender for the 14km long Epping to Chatswood tunnel section of the 27km long, US$800M Parramatta Rail link in Sydney, Australia (T&TI, Aug 2001, p9).
Shortlisted for construction of the first section are: Baulderstone Hornibrook/Bilfinger & Berger JV; Leighton Contractors; Theiss/Hochtief JV; and Transfield/Obayashi JV.
Tenders for the applicants will be issued by the end of this year, subject to planning approval, with the award expected by the middle of next year. Construction is scheduled to start in the second half of next year.
Tunnel construction is expected to be as TBM drives with a twin tube, single-track configuration of around 6.5m diameter per tube.
A Representations Report requesting planning permission for the full line was submitted to the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning in August this year with a decision expected imminently.
The report includes changes to the original project to minimise environmental impact during construction. The most important revision involves the construction of a tunnel under the Lane Cove River, instead of the proposed bridge, to counter possible damages to the Lane Cove National Park. This has required a minor relocation of the University of Technology and Delhi Road stations and a revised tunnel alignment.
The 14km Epping to Chatswood section is scheduled for opening in 2008 with the complete 27km Parramatta to Epping link, which includes a further 5km of tunnel, open by 2010.
