The excavation work along Milan’s new M4 metro line came a step closer to completion as the consortium responsible for the project led by Salini Impregilo celebrated the latest breakthrough at the Foppa station box. The tunnel-boring machine (TBM) broke through the wall of the future station - the second last stop before its final destination at Solari - in record time. It was the latest example of engineering excellence on a project of sustainable mobility that the Group plans to bring to global markets via Progetto Italy (Project Italy), an operation of industrial consolidation in the infrastructure sector in its home market.

TBM S-694, which is excavating one of two lines from San Cristoforo to Solari, arrived at Foppa after having completed in a mere 12 days 353 metres along the Washington-Foppa section. The speed at which it worked meant it did on average 28 metres a day and, on occasion, up to 37 metres.

The M4 will become the metro line offering the world’s fastest connection between an airport and a city centre: a mere 12 minutes. It is set to open in 2021 with the first section between the Linate city airport and Forlanini FS station. It will then operate as far as San Babila by December 2022. The M4 will be able to transport 86 million people a year and contribute to removing some 16 million cars from the streets a year, consequently reducing CO2 emissions by 54,000 tonnes a year.

The M4 is one of nine metro projects in which Salini Impregilo is involved throughout the world in its support of sustainable mobility within and without the city. The projects include the Red Line in Doha, Qatar; Line 3 of Riyadh Metro in Saudi Arabia; Cityringen in Copenhagen, Denmark; and the metro line in Lima, Peru. For further information please visit https://www.salini-impregilo.com/en/