Breakthrough for the Saint-Béat realignment

1 February 2014 - New contracts - France

In the Haute-Garonne department (south-west France), the 2,130 m-long Saint-Béat – Arlos re-routing project on the RN125 calls for the construction of a 1,020 m-long tunnel, two evacuation tunnels, a ventilation station to the north, a box structure to the south and roundabouts connecting with the existing road. The DREAL (regional environment/development/housing authority) for the Midi-Pyrénées region has appointed Soletanche Bachy Tunnels and Soletanche Bachy France, subsidiaries of Soletanche Freyssinet (VINCI Construction), to create this infrastructure, as part of a consortium also including Guintoli and Pizzarotti. Blast-driving work started in April 2013; breakthrough was achieved on 10 December 2013. Work began in January 2014 on lining the tunnel and driving the evacuation tunnels; this is being undertaken in parallel with the works of the conditional tranche (the head structures), due to be completed by mid-2015.