photo: €3 billion contract for the Lyon-Turin tunnel awarded/€3 billion contract for the Lyon-Turin tunnel awarded
On July 7, tunnel contracts worth more than 3 billion euros were signed on the Lyon-Turin railway. The three contracts, awarded to consortia led by EIFFACE, and Implenia, will provide for the construction of a 57.5 km main tunnel that will run under the Alps between France and Italy.
The first part of the 21.9-kilometer section of parallel tunnels running from Villarodin-Bourges / Modan to the border has been awarded to a consortium led by EIFFAGE Génie Civil, Spie Batignolles, Ghella, and Cogeis for 1.47 billion euros. This project will require two TBMs, combined with traditional drilling and blasting for more challenging geological sections.
The second part concerns the 23-kilometer section between Saint-Martin-la-Porte / La Praz and Modane. A consortium led by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Dodin Campenon Bernard, VINCI Construction France TP Lyon, and WeBuild will use a combination of three TBM and traditional methods in the contract, at a cost of 1.43 billion euros.
The third part is the shortest of the three sections: 3 km between the entrance portal to Saint-Julien-Montdenis on the French side of the Alps and Saint-Martinla-Porte. All built traditionally, the winning consortium, led by Implenia Suisse with Implenia France, NGE, Itinera, and Rizzani de Eccher, set a price of 228 million euros.
Another contract for the fourth part is to be awarded. Passing between the French border and Susa in Italy and including two TBMs, this 12 km section will cost about 1 billion euros. There will also be a € 2 billion safety contract and railway installations covering the entire base tunnel to be taken.
Some sections of the total tunnel length of 162 km, which will make up the base tunnel system, have already been built in earlier contracts. They include a 10.2-kilometer section of the southern pipeline in the Lot 2 section and four access tunnels at various points along the route. Completion was originally scheduled for 2030, but recent speculation that this date may be shifted to 2032 seems reasonable.
Co-funded by Europe, Italy, and France, the Lyon-Turin railway is part of the European TEN-T railway network, along the Mediterranean corridor connecting the Iberian Peninsula with Eastern Europe. By removing 1 million trucks from the alpine roads, the line must bring economic and environmental benefits.