PORR takes lead on Swiss Tunnel project

Vienna, 23. February 2015 – A new tunnel in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden, to be built in the next four years, should secure a long-term, winter-proof route between Upper Engadine and the Chur/Landquart region. Rhätische Bahn AG has awarded the tender to build the Albula Tunnel II to a consortium of Porr Suisse (lead and technical management), Walo Bertschinger AG (commercial management) and Società Italiana per Condotte d’acqua S.p.A. (technical comanagement).
 
The tender value of this technically demanding project is around CHF 125m. Construction is set to begin in April 2015, after which tunnelling should be completed by December 2017, with completion of the entire project projected for August 2019. The total length of the tunnel is 5,860 metres.
 
The current Albula Tunnel I is over 100 years old and overhauling it would be too costly in light of the ongoing rail service. This is why Rhätische Bahn AG opted for a new construction. There will be twelve cross-connections between the two tunnels. Albula Tunnel I will then be converted into a safety tunnel.
 
“Albula Tunnel II will be built at 1,800m above sea level and is technically demanding because of the geology of the area. We are delighted that the Rhaetian Railway has decided to rely on the comprehensive expertise of Porr Suisse and its consortium partners”, said Karl-Heinz Strauss, CEO of PORR AG. “This tender shows that PORR’s group-wide knowhow in tunneling and rail construction is also acknowledged in Switzerland. Albula Tunnel II opens up a third key business division for Porr Suisse, alongside building construction and civil engineering on our home market of Switzerland”, concluded Strauss.