Monte d'Oro Tunnel Breaks Through on Road Link Between Italy and SloveniaConstruction of the motorway link between Lacotisce, in Trieste province, and the Rabuiese Pass between Italia and Slovenia will provide a better level of service for motorists in all the Trieste province and an efficient connection with the port of Trieste and the Rabuiese Pass. This will be possible when the new motorway will replace trunk road SS 15, the unique main artery for access to Trieste for drivers coming from the Istria peninsula, the Aquilinia terrirory, the Noghere industrial park and Muggia town.Construction of the Lacotisce-Rabuiese motorway commenced on 31st July, 2003 and will be concluded by April 2008, thus providing a direct connection between Slovenia's motorway system and Trieste's long distance road system, up to the Lisert toll gate and the Trieste-Venice motorway. The investment, which will revolutionise traffic in the Aquilinia region. amounts to EUR148.3 million financed on the state budget, whereof EUR111 million for construction and the remainder EUR36 million for land acquisition and other purposes.From Lacotisce to Rabuiese, the motorway is 4,694.25 metres long while in the opposite direction, it is 4,580.21 metres long. Driving from Lacotisce interchange to Rabuiese Pass, motorists will take access ramps, 60% of which is elevated to span many existing infrastructure (roads, railways, utilities running over the place, etc.). South of the ramps, a double viaduct for separated causeway spans the Rosandra torrent and leads to the Monte d'Oro tunnel. Further on, after the overpass on road SS 15 "Via Flavia", at a distance of 513 metres from the southwest tunnel portals, two parallel viaducts cross the Noghere industrial park, spanning 1,052.50 metres. Altogether, the total length of main and connecting viaducts is approx. 5,000 metres.The first, 1 km-long section of the Lacotisce-Rabuiese motorway link, running between Rabuiese Pass and the Monte d'Oro tunnel, opened on 19th July, 2007. Drivers from Rabuiese leave the motorway just before the Monte d'Oro tunnel in Aquilinia awaiting its opening scheduled in April 2008. Non-stop driving will then be possible from Slovenia to the Lisert toll gate. The second section including the tunnel will connect to Trieste's long distance road system. In June 2007, 71% of the motorway link and 80% of the Monte d'Oro tunnel was completed.The twin bored tunnel is 1,338 metres long on average, taking into account the four false tunnel ends. It is being built by Collini who leads a joint venture in partnership with Cossi Costruzioni. The tunnel is approx. 13.5 km wide and 10 m high, with a 18 m interval between the tunnel lines. The tunnel area is 140 square metres. Both tubes are connected by vehicular cross passages at intervals of about 300 metres. Visit www.impresacollini.it and www.cossi.comThe Monte d'Oro geology is composed of alternating irregular strata and benches of compact sandstone, calcareous marls, with strata and thin strata of more or less clayey sandstone, and well stratified marls, with intercalations of calcareous clay in a wide range of intermediate consistencies. Both tunnels have been bored from the north side. Tunnelling of the Lacostice-bound, right tunnel finally came to a close on 27th September, 2007 when a jack hammer pulled down the last fraction of rock. The left, parallel bore is expected to break through in end October. To date, 1,052 metres has been excavated on a total of 1,222 metres. Installing safety equipment in the tunnel will be completed by the end of the year.The tunnel is being excavated by drill and blast. The blast holes are drilled by a three-boom Atlas Copco drill rig. At the portals where a CAT 345 jack hammer has been used. Visit www.atlascopco.com and www.cat.comA wheeled Caterpillar loader and Astra dumper are used for mucking-out, a task subcontracted to Edilter. The flexible duct to ventilate the tunnel during construction has been supplied by Telloni Fratelli Bresciani. Visit www.astraspa.com and www.telobresciani.it/tunnelwindThe primary support consisted in valved steel tubes at the portals, Sireg glass fibre rods at the face and at the foot of the steel arches, welded mesh, shotcrete reinforced with fibres and IPN 200 and 220 steel arches. Pro. Co is the waterproofing liner supplier. The final support is 80 to 95 cm-thick in situ cast concrete, reinforced only at the portals. Visit www.sireg.it 41/07.