Watercare's Central Interceptor tunnel boring machine made landfall this morning after 11 weeks of 24/7 digging underneath the Manukau Harbour in Auckland.
The machine, Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, is in the process of digging a 14.7km long tunnel as a part of the Central Interceptor project - a $1.2 billion tunnel stretching from the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant to central Auckland.
The project aims to reduce wet-weather overflows and clean up waterways.
The machine completed its 1500-metre journey underneath the harbour this morning when it stopped in Hillsborough. A ceremony took place where a flag was put in the ground where the machine was.
The tunnelling took place 15 to 20 metres below the seabed, and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi was operated by a crew of 15 people 24/7 for safety reasons.
"It's the first real major milestone for the project; we've crossed the harbour; it's a huge achievement for the team to get to this point at this time of the year," Watercare executive programme director Shayne Cunis said.
He said it'd been a hard process digging such a long tunnel under the harbour, and that he's proud of the team for getting it done.
"Harbour crossings are always unique; it's not something tunnelling has done very frequently, and in New Zealand, there is no harbour crossing of this scale.
"For us to complete this in such a short period of time is a testimony to the people we've got working on this project," Cunis said
Workers will now inspect the machine's cutter head to see if any adjustments need to be made before it gets moving again.
Hiwa-i-te-Rangi embarked on its journey in August last year and has travelled more than four kilometres since leaving a site next to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant on Greenwood Rd.
It's digging a tunnel 4.5 metres in diameter and requires an entire support network of conveyer belts and electric trains to get rid of waste.
Watercare said they are aiming for the tunnel to be complete by 2024 - the new infrastructure should last for 100 years.
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