Project Overview: The Second Gotthard Road Tunnel Tube
![1 Overview of the overall system at the completed Gotthard Road Tunnel](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_7127e4db841369690eefe0f8473e84cf/w300_h200_x600_y311_Bild01_-e8193a1e4185671a.jpeg)
![2 Overview of the second Gotthard road tunnel](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_04c3ced3c4bce1c8786132ae50c90f54/w300_h200_x440_y1088_Bild02_-e8b4e20153dce589.jpeg)
![3 Standard profile of the second Gotthard road tunnel](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_7cd11c900bd5aa9d5910689585ae1d0e/w300_h200_x600_y600_Bild03_-f42f683ba9fe8fd4.jpeg)
![4 Geological longitudinal profile](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_cdc8b1fe2eecb60224661675e260e047/w300_h200_x600_y249_Bild04_-0dd19377df915f41.jpeg)
![5 Squeezing rock during construction of the Gotthard Road Tunnel](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_240bcaf8b1947a48fdb43741952738d5/w300_h200_x502_y1014_Bild05_Deformationen_Gotthardstrassentunnel-b3a01bbd58c4e270.jpeg)
![6 Yielding lining in area L1](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_d36c1e5b1005b00139a2a7f9c0ae3b45/w300_h200_x600_y464_Bild06_-1422f3af87c6ed69.jpeg)
![7 Yielding lining in area L2](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_2570ac76e6daa6ceb249d7294f395b15/w300_h200_x600_y500_Bild07_-041358a546b5dcfa.jpeg)
![8 Characteristic curve for rock according to characteristic values of rock](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_6e0b5ff4bb00e775de799f451644cf1f/w300_h200_x600_y438_Bild08_-917dc322bb1da018.jpeg)
![9 Reuse of excavated material](https://www.tunnel-online.info/imgs/1/4/0/2/8/2/4/tok_0150fce733da6f8cffb408a5f4eb8549/w300_h200_x600_y207_Bild09_-e6ffd813a60eb6ed.jpeg)
Featuring a length of 16.9 km, the planned second tunnel tube through the Gotthard will prove to be yet another outstanding feat in the Gotthard region. This contribution provides a short overview of the project, explains the investigation of the fault zones, outlines the excavation concept for piercing these zones and addresses both material management and the reuse of the excavation material.
1 Introduction
Located on the north-south axis of the A2 motorway, the Gotthard Tunnel connects the cantons of Ticino and Uri between Airolo and Göschenen. The existing motorway tunnel was opened in 1980, with forecasts based on ongoing checks indicating that it will be due for renovation in around 15 to 20 years. As part of the ‘Gotthard conservation concept’ study that began in 2009, efforts were made to identify and investigate on different feasible options for conservation. These included the prospect of constructing a second tunnel and subsequently renovating the first tunnel, as well as...