Implenia and Webuild win huge Brenner Base Tunnel contract

Lot H41 Sillschlucht-Pfons comprises the construction of a section of two parallel tunnels from Gola del Sill near Innsbruck in the north to the town of Pfons located further south. The contract includes around 7.3km of traditional excavation for the two main tunnels and auxiliary tunnels. There will also be mechanised excavation for another 16.5km by two TBMs of diameters greater then 10m. In addition to the tunnel linings, an underground emergency stop at Innsbruck, access tunnels, exploratory tunnels and parts of other secondary tunnels are included in the work. Commissioned by BBT, the work is expected to take around 80 months and will create around 400 new jobs in the region. Technical management will be carried out locally by Implenia Austria.

The tender placed a high value on environment and sustainability in the planning and construction of the lot. Among the award criteria were inclusion of measures to reduce environmental pollution and the use of green electricity. Anticipated transport and conveyance during the project were subject to strict requirements and are only to be undertaken by vehicle classes meeting the latest emission standards. Worksite logistics are designed to reduce travel times for the transport of materials, while measures to reduce dust and noise are also expected.

Commenting on the award win, Erwin Scherer, Global Head of Tunnelling at Implenia, said: “The Brenner Base Tunnel is an important part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor of the Trans-European Network (TEN-T), which improves rail connections across the continent. We are pleased that we can bring our many years of experience and our proven expertise in tunnelling to this large and complex project.”

Webuild and Implenia are already partnering on the high-speed Franzensfeste-Waidbruck line – the southern approach to the Brenner Base Tunnel.