But in a submission to the federal infrastructure review – obtained byThe Age through a freedom of information request – the airport argued that a single underground tunnel to the airport could be cheaper to build and would ultimately attract more passengers.
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It proposes redeploying tunnel boring machines and workers from the North East Link and West Gate Tunnel projects to airport rail to ensure “efficient use of public funds” and “help keep costs to a minimum” while delivering a better station design.
Building underground would avoid the cost of moving utilities and disrupting access roads,the submission by airport executive Jai McDermott says.
“The alternative solution seeks to achieve superior benefit-to-cost ratio by providing a seamless traveller experience and integration into the terminal precinct,whilst reducing the overall project costs and increasing certainty of programme delivery,” the submission says.
Two tunnels have been dug for Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel rail line,but McDermott said a technique being increasingly used was to put twin rail tracks and station platforms within a single-bore tunnel or “monotube”.
“This greatly reduces the station size,site impacts,construction costs and time frame. In complex locations like the airport forecourt,this methodology offers great efficiencies,” the submission says.
“Such a monotube approach is being used in projects in Spain,France,Dubai,and the Netherlands. Some key examples of monotube approach are the Barcelona Line 9 and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Phase 2 Silicon Valley.”
McDermott warned that building the elevated line would cause “significant and untenable” disruption requiring “years of multiple road closures across the precinct,alternative roads to be built and substantial relocation of utilities”.
“We may not be in a position to progress a solution that does not provide an acceptable traveller experience or mitigates disruption,” he said.
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The Allan government needs Melbourne Airport to agree to its designs for the project to go ahead.
The airport leases Tullamarine from the Commonwealth and,under the Airports Act,must be the one to submit a planning application for a major development to the federal infrastructure minister for approval.
King said last week she would appoint an independent mediator to resolve the impasse between Victoria and the airport.
“That’s why the project’s been delayed. Melbourne Airport has to put the planning application in,I can’t force them to,” she told ABC radio.
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King said the infrastructure review did not make any recommendations about whether the station should be above or below ground.
A spokesperson for the Allan government said it was working with the Commonwealth to “understand the future timeline of the project and on a path forward for negotiations”.
“An underground design would involve greater disruption,take almost two years longer and cost more than a billion dollars more – on top of the unreasonable demands for compensation[the airport] is pursuing,” the spokesperson said.
Melbourne Airport has included an underground station in its master plans since 1998 and proposed helping to fund an underground line from Southern Cross Station in 2018.
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