By Lynda Myer
As one of the biggest sections of the Brenner Base Tunnel, the working process has officially started on Lot H41 Gola del Sill-Pfons. Linking Italy and Austria beneath the Alps once completed, this project will become the world’s longest railway at 64 kilometers and it is going to be a part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The Webuild and its Swiss subsidiary CSC Costruzioni (50% stake) with joint-venture partner Implenia (50% stake), are responsible for building this lot, which is commissioned by BBT SE, the entity that is overseeing the project.
The participation of Austrian Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler and Pat Cox, European Coordinator for the Scandinavian Mediterranean Corridor of the TEN-T corridor, at the ground-breaking ceremony emphasized on the importance of the project to Austria.
While the terms of the contract include a strong focus on the sustainability of the construction activities, the logistics of the work sites are designed to reduce travel times for the transport of materials and measures are due to be put in place to decrease dust and noise caused by vehicles, and the water used during construction will be treated before being returned to the environment.
Involving the construction of the railway from Gola del Sill near the city of Innsbruck in the north to the town of Pfons further south, the Gola del Sill-Pfons lot will create up to 400 direct jobs and more than 1,000 for third parties. Among the most challenging engineering projects in the world, it includes a total of 22.5 kilometers of the two main parallel tunnels, with 38 cross passages. The creation of an underground emergency stop at Innsbruck, access tunnels, exploratory tunnels, and parts of other secondary tunnels, are also the contents of this project. Additionally, there will be the construction of a bridge over the Brennero A13 highway.
Currently working on other lots of the Brenner Base Tunnel, including the Isarco River Underpass and Mules 2-3 in Italy after having completed Tulfes-Pfons in Austria, is up to Webuild, whereas it is also building the railway among Fortezza and Ponte Gardena south of the tunnel.
