Strabag and Salini Impregilo awarded more of longest rail tunnel

The largest contract section to date of the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) through the Alps has been awarded to a consortium made up of Strabag (51%) and Salini Impregilo (49%).

At €380 million, the contract is to build the twin-tube rail tunnel between Tulfes and Pfons as well as the already annnounced section of an exploratory tunnel, the new rescue tunnel running parallel to the existing Innsbruck bypass, and two connecting side tunnels.

The construction time for the 38km of tunnel is 55 months, with work set to begin in the second half of 2014.

The BBT is a rail link running through the Alps. It is the main element of the new Brenner railway from Munich, Germany, to Verona, Italy. At a total of 64km, it is the longest underground railway connection in the world.

The Brenner Base Tunnel consists of two single-track tubes, each 8.1m wide, at a distance of 70m from one another. The two tubes are linked at every 333m through connecting side tunnels as escape routes in emergencies.

The total cost for the project, which is to be completed in 2025, is estimated at €8.6 billion.