By rosebell
Reaching 14.2km of the western main tunnel, three-quarters of its assigned route in the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel has been completed by the tunnel boring machine (TBM) Ida.
As a significant landmark in the tunneling process, the machine has also passed through the geological fault zone known as Werner.
The date of commencing Ida’s journey was 27 June 2023 after an official ceremony and since then, it has successfully navigated three complex fault zones: Viggartal, Walzn, and most recently, Werner. Currently, this machine has excavated 6km of tunnel and continues to progress southward.
According to Lot H41 Sill Gorge -Pfons project manager Romed Insam: “Considering that Ida’s total distance is 8.4km, we can say that she has already covered three quarters of her journey. The complexity of the geological context in which she is moving makes the result even more significant.”
The current record of this machine in digging rock is almost 510,000m3 of and it has installed around 21,500 precast concrete segments, whereas these segments are produced at the construction site in Ahrental, which has decreased road transport by approximately 27,000 lorry journeys.
The process of naming this TBM was done by pupils from Navis Primary School in early 2023 and the project continues with a focus on both technological progress and sustainability. The tunnel is expected to facilitate future travel through the region.
