Bucharest’s metro line to Otopeni Airport receives tunnel boring machine
The TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), which will be used for drilling tunnels on Metro Line M6 from Gara de Nord to Otopeni Airport, has arrived in Bucharest and is set to be assembled in the Băneasa commercial area (the future Tokyo station).
President of the Metrorex board of directors Mihai Barbu, who announced the reception of the TBM, said that construction of the new subway line could begin this month if all approvals are obtained.
"The order to start construction on the M6 1 Mai-Tokyo section has been given. We are currently in the process of obtaining the required permits, and construction of the structure will begin depending on obtaining these permits, with a completion deadline of 48 months,” Barbu said, cited by economedia.
The first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which will dig tunnels for the first six stations of Metro Line M6 from Gara de Nord to Otopeni Airport, arrived in Romania through the Port of Constanta at the beginning of September. The equipment consists of 28 pieces and has a total weight of 726 tons, according to Metrorex.
“The equipment needs to enter the construction site as soon as possible. It is no longer in Constanta; it has been transported to Bucharest, disassembled, and will be assembled in the area of the Băneasa Mall, where construction will begin from the Tokyo station side. Traffic restrictions will depend on what is stated in the permits, and if necessary, detours will be implemented. It is very possible that construction will begin this month," said Barbu.
Two TBMs from the Turkish consortium Alsim Alarko – Makyol will work on section I from Gara de Nord to 1 Mai to Băneasa (Tokyo station). The contract was signed in March 2022 for RON 1.2 billion (EUR 241 million).
(Photo source: Metrorex on Facebook)
