RUSSIA: Tunnelling work for Moscow’s Big Circle orbital metro Line 11 has been formally completed, with the holing through of the 1 200 m drive between Negatinskaya Zaton and Klenovy Bulvar.
Excavated by TBM Lilia, the 10 m diameter double-track tunnel in the southeast of the capital runs at a depth of 15 to 22 m below ground.
Announcing the completion of tunnelling work on December 29, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said ‘today is a historic event, not only for our city but also for global metro construction’.
To date, 44 km of the Bolshaya Koltsevaya Line has been opened for revenue service, including a 21 km section inaugurated on December 7. The remainder is expected to open by 2023, taking the line to 70 km with 31 stations and three depots.
