The Nishimatsu/Dragages JV has begun drill+blast operations from both portals on the 5.5km long Tai Lam Tunnel for the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) West Rail Phase 1 project in Hong Kong (Jan ’99, p11). The US$240m design+construct contract involves Dragages et Travaux Publics (HK) advancing from the north and Nishimatsu Construction Co advancing from the south.
The 110m2 cross section tunnel has been designed by the JV as a single-tube tunnel with a central dividing wall separating twin rail tracks, as opposed to the provisional design concept of twin bores. At the tunnel mid-point, a 54m cross-over is provided, allowing trains to switch from up track to down track in either direction. The opening will be sealed by a pair of fire rated sliding doors.
Project director John Mundy says of the schedule, “the ground is fairly hard granite with some faulting and the target rate will be 150m/month from both ends.”
The 5.5km long tunnel is scheduled for breakthrough in April 2001, with completion of all civils works by early 2002.
The Tai Lam Tunnel is the first West Rail contract awarded and will link Kowloon to the rural areas of the inner New Territories.
