The Lesotho Highlands Project has reported positive progress in the refurbishment of the Polihali Transfer Tunnel.
The reassembly of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which will excavate the Polihali Transfer Tunnel from the Katse side, is making great strides. This is the first of two TBMs that will work on the tunnel.
After a successful Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) in China, the TBM was carefully dismantled and shipped to Durban, South Africa, and transported overland to Lesotho aboard a convoy of over 90 abnormal and super abnormal size, load carrier trucks.
Reassembly of the TBM began on 27 October at the Polihali Transfer Tunnel construction site and is expected to take approximately two months.
Once the TBM’s main body is fully assembled and backups are connected, it will be positioned in the Katse TBM access adit, where it will start its journey, tunnelling through rock towards the future Polihali Reservoir.
Completing the TBM reassembly ahead of the start of tunnelling is a significant step in advancing the Polihali Transfer Tunnel project, a critical component of the entire Phase II programmme.
Once completed, the Phase 2 Project, part of the R42 billion project, will supply additional water to the Vaal River system, resulting in more water for Gauteng, parts of the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and the Northern Cape.
Picture: Government of Lesotho