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BBT - Launch of the Wilma and Olga TBMs

The launch of the Wilma and Olga TBMs will take place on Wednesday 18th  September 2024 at the BBT H53 Pfons-Brenner construction site.  The first components of the two TBMs - after ... More Information

TBM Ida completes 4 Km of the westbound tube of the Brenner Base Tunnel, H41 Lot

On 22 July, the TBM Ida celebrated the excavation of the first 4 km - out of its total 8.4 km - of the westbound line tunnel to the south at the Austrian H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge construction site. The ... More Information

June updates for BBT

Press Release - H53 Pfons-Brenner construction site: the first segments reach the construction site The two TBMs Wilma and Olga - which from September 2024 will dig and line the twin tube 7.5km ... More Information

Italy/Trentino-South Tyrol – Work has started on the southern entrance to the Trento railway bypass

Work continues on the construction of 13 km (Lot 3A) of the new railway line - almost entirely underground – linking to the future Brenner Base Tunnel. The new infrastructure will begin from ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel update

Brenner Base Tunnel update

Every year BBT organises an Open Day for the Brenner Base Tunnel project. They take place at the Austrian construction site H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge, and at the construction site of the Eisack ... More Information

BBT - TBM Ida reaches first 3 km of excavation for Lot H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge

On 14 May 2024  the TBM Ida, launched back in June 2023, reached its first 3 km of excavation towards the south, in the West line tunnel, advancing an average of 13 m/day and extracting ... More Information

TBM Wilma is ready for the Brenner Base Tunnel

TBM Wilma is ready for the Brenner Base Tunnel

On 8 march 2024 BBT SE and H53 Consortium consisting of Porr Bau GmbH, Marti GmbH Austria and Marti Tunnel AG Switzerland completed the factory acceptance of Wilma. This will be the first of the two ... More Information

BBT - New milestone for the TBM Ida on the H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge construction site

The TBM Ida in the H41 Sill-Pfons Gorge lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel is continuing its journey through the westbound line tunnel in a southerly direction.  On Sunday, 25 February 2024, ... More Information

BBT - Take part in choosing the names of the two new TBMs for the Brenner Base Tunnel

Until 12 noon today, 22 February, you can participate in the choice of names for the two 160 m long TBMs that will come into operation in autumn 2024 for the excavation of the Austrian Pfons-Brenner ... More Information

Scaleres tunnel’s TBM assembled

In the ongoing construction of the Scaleres tunnel's the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) on the Fortezza-Verona line in Italy, SELI Overseas, a specialized subcontractor for the Munich-Verona railway ... More Information

BBT - Updates on the Brenner Base Tunnel

Hochstegen: Another construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel is now complete  The Swietelsky Tunnelbau company, which in 2021 secured the EUR102 million contract for the construction ... More Information

BBT - Eisack Underpass work completed

All the main works have been completed at the construction site of lot H71 “Eisack River underpass” of the Brenner Base Tunnel, and subsequently the work completion report has now been ... More Information

BBT - TBM Virginia has reached the border with Austria

On 28/03/2023 an important milestone was reached for the Brenner Base Tunnel, on the Italian side, at the Mules (BZ) construction site.  After 14 km of excavation and almost 4 years of ... More Information

TBM Ida will drive the west main Brenner Base Tunnel

On the 14/02/2023 the official inspection of the second TBM for the H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel took place at Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau (D). The ... More Information

BBT - Segments production started for lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons

The main part of tunnels in lot H41 Gola del Sill-Pfons will be driven by two TBMs. The machines - during their tunnelling - will install the rings, composed of prefabricated concrete ... More Information

TBM Lilia for Brenner Base Tunnel passes acceptance test

TBM Lilia for Brenner Base Tunnel passes acceptance test

The first of the two TBMs for the H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel has formally passed its acceptance test at Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau, Germany. The ... More Information

SAIE 2022 - The SIG (Società Italiana Gallerie) tunnelling area

SAIE 2022 - The SIG (Società Italiana Gallerie) tunnelling area

Press release - Among the various special initiatives that uniquely characterize the SAIE 2022, the Construction, Design, Building and Plants’ Fair - in BolognaFiere from 19 to 22 October, ... More Information

BBT - excavations begin for lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons

BBT -  excavations begin for lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons

Excavation work has begun on the main tunnel for BBT construction lot H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons, in Ahrental near Innsbruck. The Austrian Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler the patroness was ... More Information

BBT – Breakthrough in the Brenner Base Tunnel

BBT – Breakthrough in the Brenner Base Tunnel

On the 19/05/2022 at 13h45 an excavator broke through between lot H71 Eisack undercrossing (built by Webuild) and Lot Mules 2-3 (built by Webuild and Ghella), on the Italian side of the East line ... More Information

BBT – Excavation has started at the H52-Hochstegen construction lot in Austria

On 04/05/2022 a ground breaking ceremony was held for Lot H52 Hochstegen in the presence of Maria Lorenzatto, godmother of the tunnel, along with the various authorities and companies involved. The ... More Information

BBT - Breakthrough under Isarco river

BBT - Breakthrough under Isarco river

On 07/04/2022 about a month after the start of the excavation work, the last main tunnel below the Eisack riverbed for the future railway Brenner Base Tunnel has broken through.   A total ... More Information

Progress report for the Brenner Base Tunnel

As of January 2022, 4 main construction lots are under construction: Mules 2-3, Isarco River Underpass (Italian project area); Sill gorge, Sill gorge - Pfons (Austrian project area).  In ... More Information

BBT - Exploratory tunnel excavation completed

On the 24/11/2021 TBM Serena with a diameter of 6.85m, a length of approximately 300m and weight 1,500 t has reached the Brenner Pass. The TBM has excavated over 14 km of tunnel in 3.5 years. The ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel - Update of Total Project Costs

On the 07/09/2021, after the approval of the updated construction programme, approval was also obtained for the total costs of the BBT project, which had been updated to take the following issues ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel: Breakthrough of first main tunnel below the Isarco river

Brenner Base Tunnel: Breakthrough of first main tunnel below the Isarco river

On 19/04/2021 - about one month after construction works started, they broke through. The works were below the riverbed of the Isarco river for the future Brenner Base Tunnel railway. Excavation ... More Information

Ground freezing begins for the first main tunnel for the BBT Isarco River Underpass

In the town of Fortezza works on the Isarco River Underpass construction site, which is the southernmost construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel, are proceeding at full speed. Two 25 m deep ... More Information

BBT - First breakthrough under the Isarco river

 BBT - First breakthrough under the Isarco river

On  the 6th of November 2020 an excavator with hydraulic hammer  broke through  the first 59 m tunnel under the Isarco river. The ground in the most southern construction lot of the ... More Information

BBT - Isarco river underpass tunnelling begins

BBT - Isarco river underpass tunnelling begins

After months of preparation on the Isarco River Underpass construction site, the excavation of the first few metres of the tunnel has begun.   The excavation works in this southernmost ... More Information

Verona-Fortezza access line part of the BBT

The new Brenner Base Tunnel, which is the responsibility of BBT, is being built to boost the capacity of the Verona-Fortezza access line from the south, which is being built by RFI. The line is ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel project - Breakthrough

Brenner Base Tunnel project - Breakthrough

On 06/07/20 the TBM Gunther, tunnelling from Ahrental (Innsbruck) in the north completed its 16.7 km long exploratory tunnel. The TBM averaged 11 m of tunnelling per day. The breakthrough, ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel 50% complete

Brenner Base Tunnel 50% complete

On the 29th of November 2019 the Brenner Base tunnel reached a milestone and is now 50 % complete. So far they have tunnelled 150km of the 230km needed to finish the project. The Brenner Base Tunnel ... More Information

The Brenner Base Tunnel company has new leadership

The Brenner Base Tunnel company has new leadership

Starting on September 18th, 2019 Martin Gradnitzer and Gilberto Cardola will take the helm of the Brenner Base Tunnel cross-border project company  in Austria and Italy, replacing  the ... More Information

Press release for BBT

Press release for BBT

Breakthrough in the Tulfes–Pfons section - On February 12th, 2019, the last breakthrough by blasting took place in the Tulfes-Pfons section. On that occasion, a small ceremony was held for ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel - European support for the project

Brenner Base Tunnel - European support for the project

Following the recent breakthrough of the southern portal of the Brenner Base Tunnel, European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, visited the BBT construction sites near Fortezza. The ... More Information

Brenner Base Tunnel Breakthrough

Brenner Base Tunnel Breakthrough

On St Barbaras day the 4th of December 2018 the southern portal of the Brenner Base tunnel near Fortezza Station broke through. 93 km of the total 230 km that will make up the Brenner Base tunnel ... More Information

Open Tunnel Day: Ahrental - Aldrans - Ampass, September 16th, 2018

This year, you have the unique chance to visit the entire underground area between the Ahrental access tunnel, Aldrans and Ampass and to see the different steps required to build a tunnel lining ... More Information

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Tunnelling News

Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel

Arup is the consultant to the Hong Kong Drainage Services Department in carrying out the design, pre-qualification, tender and construction ... More Information

Lane JV Wins Tunnel Package for Hudson River Tunnel Project Valued at $466 Million

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Lane Construction Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Webuild Group, has won a $466 million contract, of which Lane has a 35% share, to construct the Palisades Tunnel ... More Information

World’s biggest developers eye bids for Dublin MetroLink contracts

A consortium made up of some of the biggest infrastructure developers in the world has formed in preparation to bid for contracts to build and operate the long awaited MetroLink rail line ... More Information

The Boring Company's Prufrock-3 completes Las Vegas tunnel

The tunneling startup did not share the length of the tunnel that ... construction projects with speed and automation. This is highlighted by ... More Information

Coastal road phase 2: Mumbai's second twin tunnel to pass under rivers, mangroves

As part of phase 2 of Mumbai's Coastal Road Project, a 22.93 km high-speed corridor linking Versova with Dahisar will be created. More Information

Rock tunnel for £1.7bn Norway road scheme takes shape

The consortium responsible for the construction of a new road system in Norway has excavated approximately 500m of a new 1.9km long tunnel... More Information

Tunnel boring machine reaches halfway point on HS2's route into Birmingham

Balfour Beatty VINCI is celebrating a key milestone in the construction of HS2's gateway to Birmingham. The joint venture today (Thursday 29 ... More Information

Gateway Development Commission secures $3.8B in funding for Hudson Rail Tunnel project

The money is the final funding piece for the $16 billion project to build a new rail tunnel that will carry Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains under ... More Information

TBM Zelda starts on 6.5km Melbourne tunnel

The 4,000t machine is the first of two TBMs that will excavated a section of the project's twin road tunnels in the city's suburbs. Named after local ... More Information

Tunnels of the Future: Key Innovations and Projects at InnoTrans 2024

BBT SE, responsible for the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel, will provide details on its ambitious project. This 55-kilometer tunnel is ... More Information

Hudson tunnel contract awarded

Webuild's Lane, ACS firms win $466 million Hudson Tunnel contract tunnels as part of the Hudson Tunnel Project in the New York City area, the Italian construction group said on Thursday. More Information

All women crew to build SRL tunnels

Crews are moving underground services and building tunnel boring machine launch sites, preparing sites for major construction. Suburban .. More Information

Officials break ground on one of world's longest underwater rail tunnels connecting 2 major cities

This tunneling project, which is part of the larger Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR corridor spanning 315.66 miles, is part of an effort to reduce the ... More Information

Severn Trent unveils huge 25m deep new storm tank to ease flooding and prevent spills

Four tunnel boring machines were used to install the new sewer pipes under the town to minimise disruption, as well as lining 1km of old brick ... More Information

Here's how downtown Toronto's first subway tunnel in over 60 years will be dug

Crews are now drilling deep into the soil around the launch shaft ... Once piling is complete and this massive pit is dug, tunnel boring machines ... More Information

LTA awards S$199M contract for Maju-Clementi rail tunnels and S$400M for Cross Island

Construction will use a slurry tunnel-boring machine due to the hard sedimentary rock in the area. LTA has assured that rigorous safety measures ... More Information

Northside Interceptor Tunnel named after local environmental advocate

The machine will be named “Elaine” after environmental advocate Elaine Marsh. A tunnel boring machine is used to excavate tunnels through hard ... More Information

Tunnelling works complete on NI Water's £7.8m wastewater upgrade at Meadow Lane

The 25-tonne Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) broke through to the new stormwater storage tank to complete this significant element of work. The new ... More Information

The longest railway tunnels in the world

The three rail tunnels have a diameter of 7.6 m, while the service tunnel has a diameter of 4.8 m. A total of 11 tunnel boring machines (TBM) dug the ... More Information

Reusing dirt and rock as we build the North East Link tunnels

As the TBMs dig underground, excavated dirt and rock is moved via an enclosed conveyor system that crosses high ... More Information

Nanjiao-Xichang section of tunnel

Guangzhou International Guangzhou International Recently, the right-line tunnel boring machine (TBM) tunnel of the Nanjiao-Xichang section (hereinafter referred to as the "Nanxi ... More Information

Fehmarn Belt Tunnel opening set for mid-2029

This reduces waste and simultaneously strengthens the supply security for the project by producing steel grids to size and on demand. Setting up for ... More Information

HRBT Expansion Project's first gantry extracted and lifted

Mary the Tunnel Boring Machine exited the tunnel and made her U-turn back in June. Work on the second tunnel will begin in September of this year... More Information

Gateway Board Forms Search Committee for CEO to Lead $16B Tunnel Project

The Gateway Development Commission, which leads the $16.1-billion Hudson Tunnel Project between New Jersey and New York, has launched a board ... More Information

Costain awarded £6.6m by Thames Water to upgrade Hertfordshire treatment sites

Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has been awarded a contract with Thames Water to upgrade strategic treatment assets in Markyate and Brickendon in Hertfordshire... More Information

National Grid switches on first 2.5km circuit of £1bn London Power Tunnels 2

The LPT2 project has seen 32.5km of new tunnels bored under the capital city between Wimbledon and Crayford to host a new high voltage 275kV network. The 3m diameter tunnels were bored by ... More Information

_Goregaon-Mulund Link Road Nears Completion, Set To Cut Travel Time To 25 Minutes

The tunnels, which will be excavated using a tunnel boring machine with a diameter of approximately 14.2 metres, will be equipped with lighting ... More Information

Snowy 2.0 Tunnel Boring Machines Update

The Snowy 2.0 project continues to make significant strides with its Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) advancing the construction of critical ... More Information

Vancouver's Broadway subway tunnel boring equipment arrivin

The tunnels will serve all six stations of the Millennium Line SkyTrain extension project, from Great Northern Way to Arbutus Street. Each boring ... More Information

IN MEMORIAM - OLIVIER VION (1962-2024)

Through the past decades, the energy and foresight to lead the management of the ITA International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association has been in the hands of Olivier Vion, a man ... More Information

Amtrak awards construction contract for East River Tunnel rehabilitation

The $1.6 billion project calls for demolishing all existing tunnel systems down to the liner, then restoring both tubes. During the project, one tube ... More Information

Strabag in €110 million deal to equip transalpine tunnel

Austrian contractor Strabag has won a €110 million (US$120 million) to equip a transalpine tunnel linking Austria and Slovenia... More Information

19 tunnel boring machines for Manila subway set

A close-up of the tunnel boring machine head, with a diameter of 6.9 meters. ... The first cutter head of the first tunnel boring machine (TBM), named ... More Information

$16 billion Gateway Tunnel Project gets federal funding boost after years of delays

The $16.1 billion project includes a new rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey — and is set to be open by 2035 ... More Information

Preferred bidder announced for second tunnelling contract

The global consortium of WeBuild S.p.A, GS Engineering and Construction Australia and Bouygues Construction ... Tunnel Project, North East Link ... More Information

Bechtel Picked as CM for $12.7B Single-bore BART Extension

Officials with the VTA are aiming to begin major construction and tunnelling for the $12.7-billion BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project next ... More Information

Stonehenge could be put on world heritage danger list over tunnel plan

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended that Stonehenge be listed as ‘World Heritage in Danger’ due to the A303 upgrade scheme and is ... More Information

World’s longest railway tunnel to reopen after a year

The tunnel closed on 10th August last year following the derailment of a freight train, and SBB has since been pushing ahead with repair work... More Information

Afcons Infrastructure Wins Bid for Thane Tunnel Project

Afcons Infrastructure secures the L1 bid for a tunnel project in Thane, marking a significant milestone in infrastructure development. More Information