Final Mont Cenis Tunnelling Contract Awarded
On 31 August 2023, the Board of Directors of TELT (Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin) signed the contract for the construction of the Italian section of the Mont Cenis Base Tunnel. This completes the awarding of all works for the excavation of the 57.5 km railway tunnel under the Alps from Lyon to Turin, co-financed by Europe, France, and Italy. The contract worth 1 billion euros was awarded to the JV Itinera, Spie Batignolles and Ghella.
Schematic illustration of the Mont Cenis Base Tunnel
Credit/Quelle: TELT
91 Months of Excavation Work Scheduled
The work is being carried out in the Susa valley (Piedmont) starting from the construction site in Chiomonte to the Italian tunnel portal Susa. 91 months of work are planned for a total excavation of 28.5 km: in addition to the two tubes of the base tunnel, also to be built are the Maddalena 2 tunnel, through which the tunnel boring machines will transported, the connecting tunnels, the coss-passages between the two tubes, the Clarea safety site and the cut-and-cover tunnel at the eastern portal Susa. The excavation from the Clarea safety site to Susa will be carried out by two dual-mode TBMs. These are capable of changing their mode of progress and can excavate in hard rock as well as in soft ground. In the presence of this more friable soil, the TBM is then configured to support the tunnel face by exerting an active counterpressure. This is planned to take place in a section of approximately 1.5 km in the Cenischia valley undercrossing.
