South German road tunnel project to restart

Construction work on the Kramertunnel in South Germany is to restart. The tunnel is needed to help reduce traffic delays in the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the southern German state of Bavaria and with lies next to the border with Austria. The twin tube tunnel stretches will both be around 2.8km long and the project will also include building six bridges as part of the new bypass around the town. The new bypass, with its tunnel and bridges, is required as traffic jams occur regularly in the town on th
July 26, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Construction work on the Kramertunnel in South Germany is to restart. The tunnel is needed to help reduce traffic delays in the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the southern German state of Bavaria and with lies next to the border with Austria. The twin tube tunnel stretches will both be around 2.8km long and the project will also include building six bridges as part of the new bypass around the town. The new bypass, with its tunnel and bridges, is required as traffic jams occur regularly in the town on the existing road. Heavy trucks and holiday traffic crossing the border with Austria can cause congestion.


The project is expected to cost €198 million, with €40 million already having been spent on works carried out so far. Only 350m of the emergency tunnel still needs to be completed. Work commenced in 2010 but was halted in 2013 due to the presence of large quantities of water  in the strata. A new design is being used to cope with the presence of water and the Kramertunnel should be ready for traffic by 2024.

The tunnel sections are being driven using conventional drilling and blasting methods for the hard rock sections comprising around 80% of the length, and with excavators for the looser materials in the remaining 20%. Conventional rock support methods are being used with shotcreting and rock bolting and bolted pre-cast liners. Additional rock support is being used where needed also, while the design now includes extra waterproofing and suitable drainage with collection basins to handle the groundwater and meet environmental requirements. Connecting tunnel sections are located at 500m intervals to meet safety requirements.

Road Structures

Related Content

  • Polish tunnel project being planned
    January 21, 2019
    Construction work on the planned tunnel for the Polish islands of Uznam and Wolin will commence in 2021. The islands lie on Poland’s Baltic Coast and this €184 million tunnel project is intended to improve transport connections in the area. The ferries used at present are ageing and are no longer able to cope adequately with the number of vehicles using the crossing. Up to 11,000 vehicles/day make the crossing during peak summer months, with around 2 million vehicles/year making the trip by ferry at present
    Read More
  • Mexico: underwater tunnel in Latin America
    May 8, 2015
    Mexico will benefit from an important new underwater tunnel - Mauro Nogarin writes. The city of Coatzacoalcos is located at the mouth of the river of the same name, in the Gulf of Mexico, 302km from the city of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, in the east end of trans-isthmian corridor and at the southern end of Veracruz State. The city is seeing a key development as currently construction is 85% completed on the first immersed tube, underwater tunnel in Latin America. The reasons why experts chose this type of tunne
    Read More
  • Kosovo's award-winning green highway construction
    March 20, 2012
    A new highway is proving an economic lifeline for the tiny country of Kosovo – Mike Woof reports. Road projects in Europe rarely meet such widespread public approval and support as the new Route 7 highway being built in the new Balkan state of Kosovo. The first sections of the new road opened to traffic in November 2011, with locals turning out in large numbers to celebrate the event. The official opening was carried out by the country’s prime minister Hashim Thaçi, president Atifete Jahjaga, and members of
    Read More
  • Turkey’s important new tunnel will improve transport links
    May 18, 2016
    Major advances in tunnelling will allow cars to travel underneath the Bosphorus sea channel in Turkey's Istanbul next year when its third road link is opened, writes Adrian Greeman. The Bosphorus is redolent with history and strategic significance. As one of the world's most significant sea connections, linking the landlocked Black Sea to the Marmara Sea and the Mediterranean beyond, it has been vitally important for trade and crucial for military access. It is also one of the biggest obstacles for land tra
    Read More

Highlighted Content