Mt Messenger tunnel Break-through

Job done: Here’s the incredible moment the tunnelling team at Mt Messenger broke through on the new tunnel we’re building for the Mt Messenger Bypass. We started tunnelling for the 235-metre-long tunnel in February, and earlier this week the team broke through, completing excavations for the tunnel’s top section.

The tunnel is part of the new six-kilometer route we’re constructing on State Highway 3 that’ll replace the existing steep, narrow and winding route over Mt Messenger. This big moment for the project was celebrated with a ceremony at the tunnel portal, where the project team and guests watched the breakthrough happen.

We’ll now shift work to the lower section of the tunnel, the road header will back up to the southern end of the tunnel and start excavating the bottom section, with full excavation expected to finish in early 2026.

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