On September 23rd , 2019 the TBM Federica (diameter 11.26 m, length 125 m, weight 2400 t) built by the French company NFM Technologie , completed the excavation of the first 9 km section between St-Martin-la-Porte and La Praz, which is part of the 57.5km long Lyon-Turin base tunnel. The TBM reached a large chamber near La Praz, which is the start of 2480 m La Praz inclined shaft completed in 2009, where the TBM will be dismantled.
More than 28 km of the Lyon - Turin cross-border section has been excavated to date, this includes the 4 inclined shafts (three in France and one in Italy). TBM Federica, launched from the Saint-Martin-la-Porte site on July 22nd , 2016 - has driven the first part of the South tunnel where passenger and freight trains will transit toward France, in 2030.
The breakthrough ceremony was attended by Philippe Chantraine, representative of the European Commission's DG Move, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, the new French Transport Minister, national and local institutional representatives of the two countries and all the workers involved in the construction.
The Joint Venture operating the EUR390 million SMP4 contract includes Spie Batignolles TPCI, Eiffage TP, Ghella, CMC, Cogeis, Sotrabas. With general management being awarded to Egis and Alpina.
For further information please read the full press release, also click here for the breakthrough video. To access the tunnelbuilder archive please click here, fr/11 and it/80 also visit https://www.telt-sas.com. 39/19.
