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August 27, 2008
Public Notice No. 142
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Public Notice No. 141
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Public Notice No. 140
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August 8, 2008
Canada Line Quarterly Report No. 2 (April to June) 2008
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Home > About Construction and Traffic > Construction Methods > Bored Tunnel Construction in Vancouver		  

Bored Tunnel Construction in Vancouver

Description: Bored tunnel construction involves the use of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which is launched from a deep shaft and bores a tunnel. The material is sent back through the tunnel in rail cars. As the tunnel is dug, pre-cast concrete tunnel segments are placed to form the tunnel lining. The TBM will be operated 24 hours a day, six days per week, and is primarily underground work. Construction activity above ground associated with tunnel boring work may also occur after regular construction hours. All nighttime work will be in accordance with the standards set out by the City of Vancouver. Exemptions to the City's Noise Control Bylaw can be viewed on the permits page.
 
Location:

Bored tunnel construction is being used to build twin tunnels beneath False Creek and downtown Vancouver. The TBM will advance beneath Davie and Granville Streets to the end of the bored tunnel section near Pender Street. A TBM exit shaft is located on Granville Street north of Pender Street. The TBM worksite (where the machine enters the ground) is located at 2nd Avenue, west of the Cambie Street Bridge.

Launched in June 2006, the TBM has achieved its planned excavation rate of 10 metres/day, and completed its first pass on April, 7 2007. The TBM has been brought back to the 2nd Avenue worksite to be launched again to construct the second bored tunnel. The second pass is scheduled to begin on June 2007and be completed by March 2008*. Please note these dates are subject to change.

 
Impact: While the worksite area will be very busy with trucks and equipment, there will be limited noise as a result of the tunnel boring. Impacts at the 2nd Avenue worksite include: some noise and dust, increased truck traffic and some traffic diversions (the 2nd Avenue off-ramp on Cambie Bridge will be removed).

Tunnel under False Creek

Illustration of a twin bored tunnels.