With the almost simultaneous breakthrough of both main tunnel tubes of the Brenner Base Tunnel (Contract H53) beneath the national border, Austria and Italy have reached a significant milestone in the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT). This technical achievement underscores the steady progress being made on one of Europe’s most important infrastructure projects. At the same time, challenging tasks lie ahead in the coming years regarding the installation of railway equipment and the access lines.
The breakthrough connects the Austrian and Italian tunnel sections end-to-end for the first time. This marks another key step towards the planned commissioning of the BBT in 2032.
At the Brenner Pass, the tunnel drives from the Austrian Pfons-Brenner construction lot were connected to the Italian tunnel tubes that had already been completed. At a depth of around 1,400 metres, a continuous tunnel link between Austria and Italy was thus created. The structural work is therefore a significant step closer to completion.
Stephan Reider, BERNARD Gruppe
