The FCC group has been awarded two contracts in Germany by the infrastructure arm of national network company, DB Netz, to build a new, parallel tube for the Kaiser Wilhelm tunnel west of Koblenz and the Baumleite tunnel near Erfurt.
A JV of Alpine Untertagbau, Alpine Bau Deutschland and FCC Construccion is to excavate the new 4.24km long, single-track tunnel alongside the existing Kaiser Wilhelm tunnel, which is on the route between Koblenz and Perl. The bore will be undertaken with a 10.12m diameter TBM.
Geology along the alignment consists partly of slate and clay-shale with a 250m long loose zone. Cover to the tunnel ranges from only about 10m up to 250m.
The existing tunnel was built in 1877 between Cochem and Ediger Eller stations, and is just over 4km long. It is to be refurbished with reinforced concrete lining to a width of approximately 9m as part of the upgrade. The new and refurbished tunnels are to be linked by eight cross passages, each 15m long.
The value of the awarded contract is approximately US$106M and construction is scheduled to be completed by late 2011. When procurement got underway, in 2007, the budget was estimated at about twice that level for a mid-2008 start and completion was expected by 2014.
A separate contract to build the 1.32km long Baumleite tunnel was awarded to Beton und Monierbau, which is a subsidiary of Alpine Bau, part of the FCC group.
The tunnel will be excavated by drill and blast through limestone and marl with up to 30m cover and the tunnel lined with shotcrete. The works on the three year job also includes a 40m deep emergency exit shaft.
