Tunnels
Tunnels
We want to help you drive safely through Melbourne's major roadway tunnels:
Are you ready to drive in Melbourne's road tunnels (231.6 Kb)
The latest information on the EastLink tunnels is now available:
EastLink Tunnels (ConnectEast Fact Sheet) (221.4 Kb)
Overheight vehicles on EastLink (August 2008 FactSheet) (265.8 Kb)
EastLink's twin 1.6 km tunnels (Melba and Mullum Mullum) were constructed underneath the Mullum Mullum Valley in order to protect this sensitive natural environment. The tunnels meet stringent Environment Protection Authority (EPA) standards for the building and operation of the ventilation systems.
Tunneling works commenced in August 2005 with four road headers from Austria used to excavate the top half of the tunnel, known as the head, before standard excavation equipment excavated the bottom half (bench) of the tunnel.
Ventilation system
The EastLink tunnels ventilation system draws fresh air in at the entry to the tunnels, with assistance from ceiling mounted fans. The air is extracted through these fans and then discharged through the ventilation stacks.
Air quality within the tunnels is maintained by adjusting the fans to vary the rate of air flow according to the level of emissions. The tunnel ventilation system enables the specified in-tunnel air quality requirements to be met under all normal atmospheric and traffic flow scenarios.
Safety considerations
Driver safety has been integrated into every aspect of EastLink’s design and construction. The EastLink tunnels incorporate a range of purpose–built and co-ordinated safety systems to help minimise risks and to enable a quick and effective response to accidents.
Key safety features include:
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Speed limit of 80km per hour
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Road safety cameras
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Deluge system for fire suppression
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Smoke management system using jet fans
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Radio rebroadcast facilities
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Automated incident alert systems
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Cross passages every 120m which provide access to the adjacent tunnel.
EastLink Tunnel - Safety Features (3.9 Mb)