The breakthrough took place yesterday for the first tunnel of the new Genoa – Milan high-speed railway in Italy.
The Cociv Consortium, led by Salini Impregilo, is responsible for the design and construction of the Terzo Valico project. Its excavation of the 600m-long Campasso Tunnel in Genoa was completed on schedule a year after work started on the south side in July 2014.
The Campasso Tunnel will connect the new high-speed, high-capacity railway line and the existing Genoa – Milan – Turin route.
The rock material, typical of the geological conformation of the area, was excavated entirely using traditional methods. The proximity of the tunnel to the surface presented challenges, particularly as the site is in a built-up area.
After completion of the Campasso Tunnel, the Terzo Valico works will continue towards the Valico Tunnel. Works aimed at improving the roads are also under way.
The Campasso Tunnel is the first section of the Terzo Valico scheme, which is part of the Rhine-Alpine strategic corridors of the trans-European TEN-T transport network connecting Italy to other European regions.
At peak activity, the project will create employment for a further 2,500 people in the coming months.