S 21: Breakthroughs in the Obertürkheim and Feuerbach Tunnels
The DB Projekt Stuttgart–Ulm GmbH completed its second breakthrough during the construction of the Obertürkheim Tunnel on June 21. The tunnel’s west tube had been accomplished back in March 2017. After a total drive of some 3500 m, the tunnellers have now managed the final metres of the east tube.
The east tube was excavated from the Ulmer Straße intermediate point of attack towards the southern end of the future Central Station, involving shotcreting. Whilst the inner shell is now being tackled in the already completed part of the tunnel, driving is continuing from the Ulmer Straße intermediate point of attack in the direction of Obertürkheim. A further 650 m or so of tunnel has still to be excavated in each tube.
The Obertürkheim Tunnel will possess a total length of 5730 m once finished and link the future Central Station with the existing rail line to Plochingen. The branch line towards Untertürkheim will also connect up with the future sidings yard.
More than 70 Per Cent of the Stuttgart 21 Tunnels excavated
On July 17 with the involvement of many guests of honour, the breakthrough of the second tube of the Feuerbach Tunnel was celebrated. As a result, the last of a total of four tunnel tubes has arrived at the north end of the future Stuttgart Central Station. With this breakthrough, some 41 km of tunnel tube and in turn, more than 70 % of the tunnels for the Stuttgart 21 Project have been driven. Construction work began on the now excavated part of the Feuerbach Tunnel back in June 2015. The first tube was broken through in March 2018.
The Feuerbach Tunnel (3026 m) starts at Feuerbach Station and runs from there directly to the new Central Station. It mainly passes through two separate, single-track tubes. A joint venture comprising the companies Baresel GmbH and Alfred Kunz Untertagebau München as well as Walo Bertschinger AG from Switzerland was commissioned to build the tunnel in 2012.
