Significant progress has been made on the expansion of Barcelona’s public transport network this week. The first components of the L8 tunnel boring machine (TBM) arrived at the Gran Via construction site on Monday morning.
This arrival marks a critical phase in the extension of the L8 line. According to the Generalitat de Catalunya, the project is adhering strictly to its announced schedule. Therefore, it moves from technical inspections in Sant Boi to on-site assembly in the capital.
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The Giant Beneath the Streets
The first piece delivered to the ‘attack shaft’ at Gran Via forms part of the machine’s tail shield. Further critical components, including parts of the cutting wheel, are scheduled for transport in March.
Once fully assembled, the TBM will be a formidable engineering feat. It will measure nearly 100 metres in length with an excavation diameter of 10.6 metres. The assembly process is complex and will be conducted in two stages involving heavy-duty trailers. A pause is scheduled between these phases to finalise the machine’s construction before it begins operations.
Timeline for Drilling
Drilling operations are set to commence this summer. Once active, the machine will bore through the Barcelona subsoil uninterruptedly. Consequently, it will create a 3.6-kilometre tunnel.
The Department of Territory estimates that the TBM will operate for approximately 13 months to complete the tunnel, assuming the calendar forecasts hold. To mitigate the impact on local residents during this intensive period, construction on the shaft’s interior structure is ongoing. Meanwhile, an acoustic enclosure-designed to minimise noise pollution-will be assembled in phases starting this spring.
Parallel Works at Parc Joan Miró
While the main TBM is prepared at Gran Via, additional works are proceeding in the Parc Joan Miró area. In March, a micro-tunnel boring machine will be assembled to construct a smaller gallery beneath Carrer Llançà, running between Gran Via and Carrer Diputació.
Sources from the government of Salvador Illa state that this secondary gallery is essential for logistics. In addition, it will house a conveyor belt system designed to extract debris produced by the main TBM. This system ensures the excavation process remains efficient and continuous.
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