Breakthrough of the first Hallandsas tunnel

11 September 2010 - Events - Sweden

On 25 August 2010, the Asa tunnel boring machine completed the first of the two Hallandsas rail tunnels. The project is part of the Malmö-Gothenburg railway line renovation programme designed to significantly increase traffic on the line and double the maximum capacity of goods trains.

The contract to design and build the two tunnels (length: 5,500 metres each; inner diameter: 9 metres) and the 12 cross-tunnel passages was awarded in 2002 to a joint venture made up of VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Skanska. The region’s complex geology posed a substantial challenge. To cope with a 320 metre faulted zone (the “Mölleback Zone”), pre-treatment, consisting of injections every 200 metres and ground freezing over a distance of 120 metres, was carried out. This operation was completed in April. The Asa TBM has now successfully completed the first tunnel after more than five years of work. It will now be disassembled and taken to the south portal to begin drilling the second tunnel. The project is set for completion in 2014 and the twin-bore tunnel is scheduled to open in 2015.