Phyllis the tunnel-boring machine breaks through at Mount Pleasant

VICTORIA — The second tunnel-boring machine (TBM) carving its way through Vancouver’s underground has arrived at the future Mount Pleasant Station.

The TBM, nicknamed Phyllis, broke through the future Broadway Subway Project station early Saturday morning, according to a release.

So far, Phyllis has excavated 725 metres of tunnel and 494 concrete liner rings have been installed along its path.

The first TBM, nicknamed Ellie, broke through Mount Pleasant in January and started tunnelling toward the future Broadway-City Hall Station on March 4.

Crews are installing girders to connect the 21 columns between VCC-Clark Station and the future Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station for the elevated guideway.

Excavation and construction of foundations at Broadway-City Hall, Oak-VGH, South Granville and Arbutus sites are ongoing while traffic decks have been installed to keep vehicles moving.