The central section of the todate only metro line in Izmir was excavated by a Herrenknecht EPB Shield. The machine drove four short sections (2 x 550m, 2 x 800m) through instable ground consisting of loam, gravel and sand between the stations Konak, Çankaya and Basmane.

The EPB Shield re-conditioned the heterogeneous geology with the help of bentonite and foam to a paste-like consistency. By this the tunnel face could be supported savely and the material discharge became much more manageable. The TBM and tunnelling team had to pass their first toughness test along the first tunnel section, when an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale put the tunnel to the test. The tunnel resisted the earthquake and excavation could be completed as scheduled in December 1999.