On October 9, 2025, TELT and the consortium GEME LT (Gestion et Emploi des Matériaux d’Excavation LYON TURIN), composed of Eurovia Alpes Agence de Savoie (lead company), Carrières du Bassin Rhônalpin, SATM, Granulats Vicat, Terélian Agence Mancuso, GIE GMM 73, SPIE Batignolles Valérian, and SPIE Batignolles Malet, inaugurated in Illaz (Saint-Julien-Montdenis municipality), the first treatment plant for the excavated materials extracted during the excavation of the base tunnel of the Turin-Lyon railway line. This facility will handle, process, and transform a portion of the materials extracted from the tunnel construction sites.
TELT has chosen to manage the excavated materials from the construction of the Mont Cenis base tunnel through two operational sites: one in France (CO11) and one in Italy (CO10).
The CO11 site is responsible for managing and reusing 23 million tonnes of spoils on the French side of the base tunnel and will employ over 300 people at peak activity. More than half of these materials will be reused directly on the construction sites of the Turin-Lyon railway line: in particular, they will be used to produce aggregates for the concrete needed in tunnel structures or for the construction of railway embankments, including the platform for the new Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne station and other above-ground structures. This reduces the need for aggregates from external quarries and limits the volume of surplus materials to be deposited.
The materials are transported via a custom-designed network of over 5 km electric conveyor belts, currently nearing completion. These belts connect the various material handling sites, eliminating the need for 700,000 truck journeys, thereby reducing noise pollution and lowering CO₂ emissions.
The plant operates from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays. It is highly automated, remotely controlled, and continuously monitored. It is also designed to minimize noise and potential environmental pollution. The resulting aggregates are then returned to the tunnel using the same conveyor system.
Excavated materials that cannot be reused are mainly transported via conveyor belts to temporary or permanent storage sites within the project area. These sites will undergo environmental restoration, including re-vegetation and tree planting, using a mix of topsoil, excavated materials, and compost. Non-reusable materials will primarily be transported by rail and will be used in quarry rehabilitation projects.
At the Salbertrand site (CO10), located near the A32 motorway and designated for processing the excavated material on the Italian side, bomb disposal operations are ongoing, and the foundation piles for the abutment of the new bridge over the Dora River have begun. Non-reusable material will be transported by rail to the storage sites in Torrazza Piemonte and Caprie.
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