[Edaily Reporter LEE DAWON ] GS Engineering & Construction Corp(006360)announced on the 28th that it has successfully completed the tunneling of the section constructed using a TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) as part of the 6.5 km-long Melbourne NEL road project in Australia.

The completion of this TBM excavation marks the point at which two TBMs, each with a diameter of 15.6 meters, have finished excavating their respective planned tunnel sections and reached their target points.

Tunnel construction is a core process in road infrastructure development that requires precise execution and systematic process management. GS Engineering & Construction Corp explained that this completion of excavation is a significant milestone for the NEL project and a testament to its capabilities in long-distance tunnel construction and the management of large-scale infrastructure projects.

The NEL road project marks GS Engineering & Construction Corp’s first foray into the Australian infrastructure construction market. The project connects the M80 Ring Road in northeast Melbourne with the Eastern Freeway and involves the construction of approximately 6.5 km of tunnels and above-ground road connections.

GS Engineering & Construction Corp is carrying out the project as an equity investor in the Spark Consortium and a participant in the Design & Construction Joint Venture. In 2021, the Victorian state government in Australia signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract with the Spark Consortium for the NEL Road Project package.

The total project cost for the NEL road construction package, in which GS Engineering & Construction Corp is participating, was approximately 10.1 trillion won based on the exchange rate at the time the contract was awarded; of this amount, GS Engineering & Construction Corp’s share of the construction work is approximately 2.8 trillion won.

This is the second-largest single overseas project for GS Engineering & Construction Corp, following the 2009 plant project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

At the time the contract was awarded, the NEL Road Project garnered attention as the largest road infrastructure PPP project in the Australian state of Victoria.

GS Engineering & Construction Corp is executing the NEL project based on its infrastructure construction experience and PPP project execution capabilities accumulated both domestically and internationally. Following the completion of tunnel excavation, the company plans to sequentially proceed with the installation of internal road structures, electrical, lighting, and safety systems, as well as road connection works, with the goal of opening the road by the end of 2028.

A GS Engineering & Construction Corp official stated, “The completion of this TBM tunnel excavation is a significant milestone for the NEL project and an achievement that once again demonstrates GS Engineering & Construction Corp’s capabilities in overseas tunnel construction,” adding, “We will do our utmost to ensure quality and safety management so that the remaining follow-up processes proceed smoothly.”