After just 17 months of construction, the second Bosruck Tunnel tube was cut through in the presence of prominent political and local figures from Upper Austria and Styria.

For Franz Hiesl -Upper Austria's Vice Governor- and Dr. Gerhard Kurzmann -the Styrian State Transport Minister- the completion of the Bosruck Tunnel is a further application of consistent road construction policies. The second tube also serves to improve tunnel safety.

Despite the difficult geological conditions, an optimized course of action allowed the planned construction period to be reduced by 2.5 months. "The construction of the western tube presented a special challenge to the tunnel engineers. Difficult geological conditions exacerbated the tunnel drive. The close collaboration between the client and contractor was instrumental to the success of this tunnel construction project," said Roman Esterbauer, responsible managing director at ALPINE Bau GmbH, and Franz Pacher, managing director at ALPINE Bemo Tunnelling, the joint venture partners.

The Bosruck Tunnel, presently a bottleneck on the A9 Pyhrn Motorway, one of the major transit routes to southeastern Europe, will be expanded with the construction of the second western tube with a total length of 5.5 km. The contract was awarded by ASFINAG as part of its tunnel safety program. Upon completion and commissioning in 2013 this stretch of highway will meet the two-lane safety standard required by the EU and will be a significant step towards the complete expansion of the A9 Pyhrn Motorway. The tunnel will be constructed by excavator and blast drive.

Construction began in January 2010. The net contract value is 130 million euros. The twin-tube tunnel will be in full operation in 2015 after rehabilitation of the existing tube.

Construction of the second Bosruck Tunnel tube will provide a two-lane connection between the states of Styria and Upper Austria. The 5.5-kilometer roadway (including galleries) will have a width of approx. 7.5 meters, and will be located to the west of the existing eastern tube. The tunnel will have 5 emergency bays and 11 cross-drifts, of which 6 will be walk-through, to ensure that it meets the strictest safety requirements.

Worldwide Experience in tunnel construction

Its extensive competence in tunnel construction not only allows ALPINE and its fully-owned subsidiary, ALPINE BeMo Tunnelling GmbH, to successfully conclude projects for the construction of railroad and highway tunnels as well as water and energy management systems in Austria but around the globe.

On an international scale, ALPINE is involved, e.g. in the construction of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, the new subway network in New Dehli/India and the intake tunnel for India's Tapovan Power Plant. Further tunnel construction projects for power plants are located in Bulgaria and Turkey. ALPINE is currently expanding the subway network in Singapore and, upon completion of the Yellow River Diversion Project, is building an underground water supply tunnel in China. Furthermore the company is building the Crossrail Tunnel in London as part of an international consortium. Further tunnel construction projects for power plants are located in Bulgaria and Turkey. ALPINE is expanding the metro network in Singapore and has gained a foothold in tunnel construction in China by building a water supply tunnel. Consulting for tunnel construction projects is being provided in the USA, Russia, Kazakhstan and Great Britain, offering know-how and planning expertise.