TBMs arrive in Brazil to deliver metro expansion
4 September 2013The first two TBMs have arrived in Fortaleza, marking a major breakthrough in the Brazilian market for the US-based company. Four 6.92m Robbins EPBMs have been ordered to construct Line 3 of the Fortaleza Metro.
Although the machines have been purchased, a contractor has yet to be named. The contracting tender opened in May 2013, and five contractors were invited to submit proposals. The machines are expected to begin boring in 2014 once a contractor has been announced.
Components from the US and Europe will be shipped to China where they will be assembled at Robbins' Pudong site.
Once the project commences, the machines will excavate sections of the Line 3 tunnel ranging from 4.3km to 5.8km long. The 12.4km long Line 3 will include 12 stations (11 of them running underground) from Chico da Silva to Edson Queiroz station within Fortaleza. The new line is part of a larger infrastructure development program for northeastern Brazil, one of the highest population growth areas in the country.
