By rosebell
Following breakthrough at the Castagnola–Vallemme section of the Valico Tunnel has brought the project’s tunnel excavation to 94% completion and excavators have completed 86.5km of more than 90km of tunneling for the Terzo Valico dei Giovi railway project.
As the longest railway tunnel in Italy, responsibility of implementing this 27km tunnel is up to Webuild on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), with engineering support from Italferr.
Including the tunnel’s most complex sections such as Vallemme and Castagnola, at the heart of the Ligurian Apennines,this breakthrough was the highlight of the World Tunnelling Day celebrations in previous week, whereas the Valico Tunnel’s main chamber hosted this event that was officiated by Archbishop Monsignor Marco Tasca and attended by Italian minister of infrastructure and transport Matteo Salvini (via video link from Brussels), deputy minister Edoardo Rixi, Liguria Region president Marco Bucci, regional councillor for transport Marco Scajola, Genoa City Council president Claudio Villa, along with the government’s extraordinary commissioner for the project Calogero Mauceri, Webuild chief executive Pietro Salini, and RFI chief executive and general manager Aldo Isi.
According to Edoardo Rixi: “We celebrate the tenacity and expertise of thousands of workers. This breakthrough shows how every effort, when well guided, can overcome any obstacle. The Terzo Valico in not just a tunnel – it is the future of the Port of Genoa and logistics in Northern Italy. This is the project that will connect Italy with Europe in a structural way.”
Pietro Salini said: “The Terzo Valico dei Giovi–Genoa Junction project was more than a piece of infrastructure. It is an example of how Italy can compete and grow by investing in strategic and sustainable works. Italy needs integrated projects that create a system, as we are doing in Liguria. The example of Liguria with the New Genoa Breakwater, the Genoa Railway Junction, and the Terzo Valico dei Giovi shows how a comprehensive vision can position Italy at the centre of Mediterranean and European logistics, and at the heart of the TEN-T networks.”
“The breakthrough was both a symbolic and defining moment. A significant technical milestone that demonstrates progress on the Terzo Valico and the Genoa Junction, while highlighting the work that has been carried out on the project. On Saint Barbara’s Day, we celebrate the commitment of all the women and men working underground, who provide their expertise, dedication, and a strong sense of responsibility. My thoughts go first and foremost to them: the workers, technicians, and engineers who, through their constant effort, make the construction of strategic projects for the country possible,” said RFI chief executive Aldo Isi.
As part of the Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) Rhine-Alpine Corridor, the Terzo Valico dei Giovi–Genoa Junction project is going to decrease travel times between Genoa and Milan to about one hour, strengthening links between Ligurian ports and the rest of Europe. An 8.5km section of the Terzo Valico and the quadrupling of the Genoa Voltri–Sampierdarena Junction are already operational.
The breakthrough event included a live feed with other railway construction sites, including the Trappitello site in Messina, Sicily.
