Tunnel project for south German town to restart

Construction work is to restart on a new tunnel project in the South German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen following the necessary approvals having been received. The town lies to the south of Munich and is a popular winter ski resort, while in summer it also experiences heavy tourist traffic as it lies on a key route between Germany and Austria, as well as Italy, lying to the south. The busy Autobahn 95 connects Munich’s southern side with Garmisch-Partenkirchen. But this route ends just to the northern si
August 5, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Construction work is to restart on a new tunnel project in the South German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen following the necessary approvals having been received. The town lies to the south of Munich and is a popular winter ski resort, while in summer it also experiences heavy tourist traffic as it lies on a key route between Germany and Austria, as well as Italy, lying to the south. The busy Autobahn 95 connects Munich’s southern side with Garmisch-Partenkirchen. But this route ends just to the northern side of the town, where it joins with the B2. Traffic delays are commonplace during peak periods, particularly during winter and summer holiday times.

To help alleviate the traffic issues, a 3.6km tunnel will be bored through the Kramer mountain, connecting with an additional 2km of link roads. Preparatory work on this bore commenced in 2010 but ground to a halt in 2013 due to unexpectedly high groundwater levels as well as legal challenges over environmental concerns. An Austrian contractor will now start work on the new drive in the second quarter of 2020, with completion planned for 2024 and building costs expected to hit €264 million.

Work on an additional bypass tunnel for the Partenkirchen side of the town (on the eastern side of the Partnach River) is not likely to be ready for traffic until 2030.

Finance & Funding

Related Content

  • Colombia’s tunnel of woe faces further setback
    May 19, 2017
    The troubled tunnel construction project in Colombia to build the La Linea link has faced yet a further setback in its long tale of woe. The tender for the completion of the final 12% of the tunnel project has not managed to attract any interest from contractors. The budget for this work is an estimated US$77 million. A new tender process is being launched, with a submission deadline of 6th June 2017 and planned winner announcement on 4th July 2017. The contractor that had been building the tunnel failed to
    Read More
  • Bertha ends her Alaskan Way voyage in Seattle
    December 21, 2017
    Seattle's State Route 99 viaduct is coming down. David Arminas was on site. Bertha, the world’s largest diameter earth pressure balance tunnel boring machine, with a cutterhead diameter of 17.5m, is no more. Her 2.7km journey underneath the waterfront area of Seattle finished on April 4 and the power went off for the last time on an extraordinary TBM that had finally completed an extraordinary job. “A small sidewalk job would have had more impact on city traffic than we have had,” says Brian Russell a v
    Read More
  • Improving a key route through Florida
    November 9, 2015
    Upgrading a key route through Florida – novel construction techniques are helping widen a road in difficult geological conditions – Lucio Garofalo reports. A major road widening project underway in Florida is due for completion soon. The work will improve an important section of road, reducing congestion at peak period and cutting travel times for drivers. The US 331/SR83 highway runs for some 79km and provides an important link in Florida’s Panhandle area, as it connects with Route 98.
    Read More
  • Mega city transport in Mexico
    June 13, 2012
    Rapid urban growth is resulting in massive mega cities with major transport needs and Mexico City is one of the world’s largest – Mike Woof reports Mexico City is a vast, sprawling metropolis and one of the world’s largest cities, resulting in huge problems for its inhabitants, particularly with regard to infrastructure. Measuring population size is an inexact science for large cities as suburban areas can add to the figures considerably, especially in developing nations where unplanned expansion is as comm
    Read More

Highlighted Content