01.03.2016 - Construction work in the Albula Tunnel restarts
With the 2015-2016 winter break over, the third phase of the reconstruction of the Albula Tunnel will begin in early March. After the preparatory stages of 2014 and the installation work of 2015, the project is now focusing on the advance of the actual tunnel – including the conquest of the cellular limestone of the Rauwacke fault zone. The 280 metres of tunnel completed so far correspond to 5% of its overall length.
Work at the Spinas and Preda sites in the 2015-2016 winter season concentrated mainly on systems and equipment maintenance, along with the installation - in preparation for the building operations planned for 2016 - of additional items such as belt conveyors, stone-breaking equipment and the concrete-production plant. Tunnelling work was able to restart, as scheduled, on 1st March 2016. Blasting work is being carried out from the Preda end of the tunnel and up to the Rauwacke cellular-limestone fault, as loose rocks are excavated from the Spinas end.
Tunnelling work in the hollow at metre 1,300 continued without interruption throughout the winter. In order to ensure safe tunnelling through the cellular-limestone fault, the surrounding sludge formation, which is approximately 100 metres thick, is being frozen solid. The drilling and injection tasks involved are now in their final phase, and are scheduled to be completed by the end of March. Work will then move seamlessly into the "freezing" phase.
