This is the huge boring machine that will drill Scotland’s biggest ever waste water tunnel between Craigton and Queen’s Park in Glasgow.

The 1000 tonne, 180 metre-long, contraption will create the three mile long Shieldhall Tunnel which will be five times longer than the Clyde Tunnel and big enough to fit a double decker bus inside.

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will create a passage 4.7 metres in diameter as part of the £100million Scottish Water project.

It is a key part of the utility company’s £250m, five-year programme of work, launched in 2013, to improve river water quality and the natural environment and tackle flooding - the biggest investment in the Greater Glasgow area’s waste water infrastructure in more than a century.

The TBM’s construction, by German company Herrenknecht, reached a key stage recently when the cutting head was put in place at the front of the machine and the factory test was conducted.

Weighing more than 50 tonnes, the head completed its first rotations during a visit by members of the project team to Herrenknecht’s headquarters in south west Germany.

Paul Kerr, Scottish Water’s general manager of capital investment: said: “It was great for members of the Shieldhall Tunnel team to see the TBM up close and personal for the first time and appreciate just how big and complex it is.

“It was an impressive sight as it snaked its way around the huge factory and we were very impressed with Herrenknecht’s facilties, which demonstrated why they are world leaders in their field.”

The TBM will be brought in several parts from Germany to Scotland and re-assembled before the tunnelling proper will begin.

The Shieldhall Tunnel is expected to be completed by about the end of 2017.

Preparatory work is progressing and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2016.

Scottish Water has warned road users in the south of Glasgow of traffic management as ground consolidation work is carried out in Titwood Road, Crossmyloof.

A stretch of Dolphin Road, from Killiegrew Street/Meldrum Gardens to Titwood Road, and the slip road between Titwood Road and Shawmoss Road, will be affected between January 18 and May 29.

A contraflow traffic management system will operate between Minard Road and Shawmoss Road, which will reduce traffic to one lane in each direction with three-way temporary traffic lights installed at the junctions of Titwood Road/Darnley Road/Minard Road and Titwood Road/Shawmoss Road.

The road traffic management has been organised in liaison with Glasgow City Council’s roads department.

Road users have been advised to allow extra time for their journeys.

Mark Maclaren, Scottish Water’s community manager for the project, said: “Our Shieldhall Tunnel preparatory work is progressing and we require this road traffic management to enable is to continue.

“We will do everything we can to minimise any inconvenience to road users and can assure them that any short-term traffic disruption will be far outweighed by the long-term benefits our investment will deliver.”