Ever since World War II, the motor car, more than anything, has been the driving force behind urban development in Sydney, Australia’s largest city.

To fight the constant traffic congestion, major investments in infrastructure have been made in the car-dependent city over the last decade. In addition to public transport such as light rail lines and the metro system, these include several motorway projects. WestConnex, the largest of them, has been described as the biggest transport project in Sydney and all of Australia since the Harbour Bridge.

WestConnex, in operation since 2015, is a joint project of the New South Wales and Australian governments. It includes a widening of the M4 Motorway, a new section for the M5 South-West Motorway, and a new bypass of the Sydney central business district connecting the M4 and M5.

The M4–M5 Link Tunnels are the most important stage of WestConnex, providing a vital connection between two of Sydney’s busiest motorways.

Tunneling work, a joint venture between Lendlease, Samsung C&T, and Bouygues (LSBJV), takes place on three separate sites: St Peters Interchange, Haberfield, and Pyrmont Bridge Road.

Drilling began in April 2019. It involves Top Hammer drilling of holes for ground support at all three sites. The supply contract of TH consumables was awarded to Hard Metal Industries (HMI), Robit’s Australian dealer.

“The contract covers the supply of shanks, rods, bits and couplings to LSBJV. Together with HMI we beat off stiff competition from a number of other suppliers”, says Technical Sales Representative Richard Epstein, Robit Australia.

The supply of Robit tools is expected to continue into late 2020. The entire WestConnex project is scheduled to be finished by 2023. Once completed, it will help thousands of motorists by easing congestion on the M4 and the M5, making their daily commute a great deal quicker and safer.

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