Brenner Base Tunnel: Construction begins

Source: BBT

On June 30, 2006, the last day of the Austrian EU-Presidency, initial works for the Brenner Base Tunnel along the border line between Italy and Austria were ceremonially started at the Brenner Pass. Europes largest infrastructure project, with costs estimated at € 5 billion, was praised as "millennium project" in official speeches given by high-ranking officials and is intended to reduce increasing traffic on the main north-south Brenner Pass route through the Alps.

The Brenner Base Tunnel is one of the key components of the priority project TEN Railway Line No. 1 "Berlin-Palermo" and will connect Innsbruck with Franzensfeste. With a length of 63 km (including the bypass of Innsbruck), the twin-tube Tunnel between Austria and Italy will be the longest railway tunnel in the world. The tubes with a diameter of 9.6 m will be built at a distance of 70 m and connected via two cross-passages.

ILF has been involved with the project for quite a long time. At the moment the company works on the permit application design for the Southern section including the integration of the station in Franzensfeste, commissioned by the Brenner Base Tunnel SE, in co-operation with two other engineering offices. Further services provided by ILF in respect of this project will include geological and hydro-geological studies, environmental impact assessment, tunnel design, route planning, tunnel ventilation and rail road equipment.

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