Connecting Austria and Switzerland
moreILF Consulting Engineers have been appointed by ASFINAG BMG, in a joint venture, to carry out the tunnel design for the S18 Lake Constance expressway as part of the preliminary design (route selection process). The S18 is a major link road between the A1 motorway (Switzerland) and the A14 Rheintal/Walgau motorway (Austria).
The area under investigation encompasses the connection to the Swiss road network (A13/A1) near St. Magrethen/Höchst, where the crossing of the Rhine, the Lustenau canal and the ÖBB railway line is planned. Two new junctions are also being considered.
The project area is of great importance in view of settlement area, agricultural use, recreational use and groundwater utilization. Some of the conservation areas as well as the areas protected under the EU’s Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive, which are found within the project area, also have a significant influence. The geology along the approximately 7 km long section is characterized by the fluvial sediments from the Rhine and lacustrine deposits, and therefore poses a particular challenge for the tunnel design.
