Sandstone excavated from Sydney Metro tunnel boring machines (TBM) will be recycled to to build the new Western Sydney International airport.
More than 500,000 tonnes of sandstone will be transported from the Metro tunnelling sites to the site of the Western Sydney Airport.
Sydney Metro aims to recycle 100 per cent of the crushed rock excavated by construction to build the tunnel between Chatswood and Marrickville.
Western Sydney Airport Chief Executive Officer, Graham Millett, said more than 148,000 tonnes of sandstone has already been transported to the Airport site since May.
“This high-quality sandstone will be used as a high-strength foundation to support the construction of the runway, taxiways and roads on site,” Millett said.
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“This is a great example of how we can make the most of Sydney’s infrastructure boom to not only save taxpayer funds but also cut down on waste.
“It’s about sustainability and efficiency, reusing resources and reducing carbon emissions.
TBM Mabel has broken through at the Sydney Metro Crows Nest Station site after tunnelling for around three kilometres from Chatswood.
It followed the arrival of TBM Wendy, which had reached the site around four weeks earlier.
TBM Mabel has excavated around 290,000 tonnes of sandstone and shale, enough to fill 45 swimming pools.
Tunnelling for the Sydney Metro Marrickville to Chatswood is 50 per cent complete.
“Building the Airport is one of the biggest earthmoving challenges in Australian history, but we’ve already moved more than 1 million cubic metres of earth across the 1780-hectare site,” Millett said.
Western Sydney Airport aims to open for its first passengers in 2026.