Paris: what is this huge wheel installed at the Trocadero?

This autumn, public transport in Paris and the Ile-de-France region takes center stage at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine. The famous Parisian museum, nestled in the 16th arrondissement, is hosting the exhibition " Métro ! Le Grand Paris en mouvement " . For almost 7 months, visitors to this major exhibition will be able to learn more about the fascinating Ile-de-France transport network that is the metro, both in terms of the mobility and urbanity it has engendered since its creation.

Metro! Le Grand Paris en mouvement: the exhibition at the Cité de l'Architecture et du patrimoine, our photos
The history of the metro, mobility and urbanity is unveiled at the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine from November 8, 2023 to June 2, 2024, in a groundbreaking exhibition entitled "Métro! Le Grand Paris en mouvement". [Read more]

To mark this major cultural event, the Société du Grand Paris, responsible for the design and construction of the Grand Paris Express transport network, is installing a tunnel boring machine cutting wheel at the Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower.

• To be read
• Grand Paris Express: a free immersive installation at the Forum des Halles
• Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Grand Paris Express with a free tour of the Fabrique du Métro.
• Metro! Le Grand Paris en mouvement: the exhibition at the Cité de l'Architecture et du patrimoine, our photos

To be seen in front of the Palais de Chaillot from November 5, 2023, this impressive cutting wheel from the Dorine tunnel boring machine is sure to arouse the curiosity of passers-by and cause quite a stir.

But what exactly is it? The cutting wheel of a TBM is the drilling head of the circular machine used to dig the famous metro tunnel. In this case, the TBM on display at the Trocadéro since November 5 is called Dorine. In fact, in keeping with the tradition of underground work, a tunnel boring machine is always given a feminine name in reference to Saint Barbara, the " patron saint " and protector of miners.

With a diameter of around 8 meters, the Dorine tunnel boring machine (TBM ) has completed two tunnels from Le Bourget as part of the Grand Paris Express project: the first for line 16 in 2021, and the second for line 17 in 2022. In all, the Dorine tunnel boring machine completed almost 3 km of tunnels. Come and admire this impressive machine in front of the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, opposite the Eiffel Tower!