Following the signing of the EUR 105.78M (USD 133.83M) deal on 1 October, tenders can now be issued and construction should begin in January 2015. An adit in the vicinity was constructed through Carboniferous Formation, a highly heterogeneous, overstressed and in cases anisotropic rock mass exhibiting a squeezing behaviour.
The first phase of the Lyon-Turin base tunnel project was budgeted to cost approximately EUR 8.5bn (USD 10.78bn). At signing, the EU was expected to fund 40 per cent of the project cost, with Italy to contribute 57.9 per cent of the remaining, and to provide 42.1 per cent of the remaining.
The standard gauge (1,435mm) track will have operational speeds of 250kph and will carry both passenger and freight traffic.
