Webuild has made the final breakthrough on the tunnels of the Novi Ligure railway interconnection, the junction connecting the new high-capacity Genoa–Milan line to the historic Genoa–Turin railway line.
The junction is a key element in the Terzo Valico dei Giovi project, delivered by the general contractor led by Webuild on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, with the support of FS Engineering. The project is designed to overcome the limitations of the historic Giovi line between the Port of Genoa and north-western Italy to improve the efficiency and capacity of rail links between the regions of Liguria and Piedmont.
The infrastructure starts from the Serravalle Tunnel, through two new single-track natural tunnels for a total length of 1.7km: 723m for the odd-numbered track tunnel and 987m for the even-numbered track tunnel. The two tunnels branch out until they reach the historic line near Novi Ligure, enabling passenger and freight trains to enter and exit in the direction of Turin without interfering with urban road networks or existing rail traffic.
The construction site covered an area of nearly seven hectares and included the excavation of two large underground interconnection caverns, as well as sections of a cut-and-cover tunnel up to the historic line.
Webuild says works were carried out under challenging conditions as the tunnels run at a shallow depth just a few metres from the Genoa–Turin railway, which remained fully operational with minimal interference to rail traffic. Excavation progressed simultaneously on four fronts, supported by an advanced monitoring system that measured in real time any potential interference with existing infrastructure, in close co-ordination with relevant authorities and Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.
With the completion of the excavation of the Novi Ligure tunnels, the Terzo Valico dei Giovi project reaches another significant milestone, bringing closer the goal of faster and more efficient connections to Ligurian ports and strengthening rail links between major logistics hubs and the productive district of north-western Italy, a Webuild statement says.
