Implenia’s partners are Bernasconi and De Luca.
The CHF220m (€229m/US$250.5m) contract comprises a 2.1km long double-track tunnel, including concrete lining and railway technology. Around 1.85km of the tunnel will be mined and around 250m will be cut-and-cover. The contract also includes four escape tunnels and a 114m-long viaduct for the exit of highway N5.
Image Credit: SBB
The excavated material will be transported by ship and the existing railway line will be dismantled and redesigned.
The aim of the project is to eliminate the last railway bottleneck on the “Jurafuss” line between Lausanne and Biel.
The project’s location in protected areas will present challenges. The region is listed in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments, and the villages of La Neuveville, Chavannes, Ligerz and Twann are part of the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of National Importance.