The tragic fire last month in Switzerland’s St Gotthard road tunnel that claimed 11 lives and closed the tunnel has left Europe’s freight transport network in chaos and prompted a call for the removal of heavy vehicles from road to rail. The incident caused by a head on collision between two trucks has once again brought tunnel safety under scrutiny and looks certain to have ramifications on Europe’s bi-directional, single-tube road tunnels.
The accident happened on the 24 October 1.5km from the southern entrance of the 16km long tunnel that forms a vital trade link between Switzerland and Italy. Eyewitness reports indicate that a burst tyre caused a truck to swerve into the oncoming lane and collide with another truck travelling in the opposite direction. The resulting fire, made worse by the ignition of one of the truck’s cargo of tyres, burned at temperatures of 1200ºC over a length of some 200m causing large chunks of the tunnel roof to collapse. Up to 40 vehicles were believed to be trapped in the fire zone as drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot either back down the tunnel or to the emergency exits linking the parallel escape tunnel.
Officials and rescue workers have stated that the 11 deaths could have been far higher had it not been for the tunnel’s safety features. The St Gotthard tunnel, opened in 1980, is regarded as one of the safest road tunnels in Europe with 4.5m wide safety shelters every 250m, each capable of holding 60 people. These lead directly to a 6m² safety tunnel, 30m from the main road tunnel. The escape tunnel and shelters are equipped with an independent ventilation system designed to prevent fumes from entering the safety areas. It is believed that up to 100 people escaped using these facilities.
As T&TI went to press rescue workers were installing braces to temporarily support the unstable roof above the accident zone, in a bid to reach the remains of the cars directly involved in the crash. A spokesman for the Canton of Ticino told T&TI that it was too early to say anything about the condition of the tunnel as it was still unsafe for workers to enter the accident zone. He was also unable to clarify how long the tunnel will be closed although early reports indicate it will be months rather than weeks.
An estimated 5,000 trucks use the St Gotthard tunnel daily, the most direct route between Germany and Italy. Now, with the closure of St Gotthard and the Mont Blanc tunnel (T&TI, May 1999) few routes are left available to freight trucks for access to the northern triangle of Italy, said to be one of the richest areas in Europe. Only the Brenner tunnel in Austria and the Frejus tunnel in France are open for crossing the Alps. The alternatives are lengthy and costly detours using the overland routes through a region that is often closed during the winter snowfalls. The reopening of the Mont Blanc tunnel planned for December 15 will go some way to alleviate the situation, although new safety measures have reduced the tunnel’s capacity by 90% from 2,065 vehicles per hour in each direction in 1998 to 220 vehicles.
Pressure groups will now push harder for the transfer of heavy vehicles from road to rail tunnels. Solutions are already being implemented. The AlpTransit scheme through Switzerland confirms the country’s commitment to such an end with construction underway on the 35km long Lötschberg and 57km long Gotthard high-speed freight rail tunnels. A 52km long freight rail tunnel linking Lyon in France and Turin in Italy has already received government approval, whilst a similar sized tunnel is being considered for construction under the Brenner Pass in Austria.
