Leighton Asia News, October 2004 - Leighton Holdings

Eagle’s Nest tunnel
moving ahead
Strong progress is
being made by the
Leighton-Kumagai Joint
Venture on its project
to construct the Eagle’s
Nest tunnel in the
New Territories.
This US$235 million contract, which was
awarded by the Hong Kong Highways
Department in October last year, is a major
element in the development of the Route 8
Highway network. This highway will link the
New Territories East region with:
> the Kowloon West region;
> the New Territories West region; and
> Chek Lap Kok International Airport.
The joint venture is constructing twin
2.1-kilometre long, three-lane tunnels.
Cross-passages will link the tunnels for
the installation of utilities and for
evacuation access.
In addition, a 400-metre long adit tunnel
will be constructed and joined with the main
tunnels to house the ventilation system.
Both the main tunnels and the adit tunnel
are being excavated by the ‘drill and blast’
method. The major equipment being used
for excavation includes five jumbo drilling
machines, three Meyco shotcrete
machines, eight Terex 35-tonne articulated
dump trucks and Cat 988 wheel loaders.
Apart from tunnel construction, the project
also involves construction of:
> two portal buildings – one at each end of
the main tunnel;
> a ventilation building at the entrance of
the adit tunnel;
> an administration building and a
maintenance workshop building at the
northern end of the project, where a
100-metre-long steel footbridge and a
toll collection subway will be built in the
toll plaza area;