A first stage contract for work on the Göta Tunnel in the Swedish city of Gothenburg has been awarded to a consortium of Bilfinger + Berger of Germany and Anjo Bygg of Sweden with Norway’s AF Spesialprosjekt as sub-contractor.
The contract sum is $44M, and work will get under way in the summer.
The contract will create the 150m long concrete cut-and-cover section at the eastern end of the main tunnel to connect with the Lilla Bommen traffic interchange.
Two other Göta packages will cover a central rock tunnel and a second concrete tunnel opening on to Jarntorget Square.
Construction will involve open cut through clay to a maximum depth of 18m.
Diaphragm walls will be used as support structures, the first time this method has been tried in Sweden. Diaphragm wall construction will also have the benefit of being considerably less noisy than pile driving, an important consideration since the work will be taking place in the centre of Gothenburg.
The 1.5km long Göta Tunnel is planned to be open to traffic in the autumn of 2005.
Work is already under way on the access tunnels needed to build the main rock tunnel (T&TI February).
Contractor Skanska will construct a 380m immersed tube tunnel on the same project.
