The renovation of Austria's longest road tunnel (13.976 meters) goes according to plan. The tunnel is on S16 Arlberg Highway and goes under the Arlberg massif from Tyrol to Vorarlberg.

Austrian public roads organization ASFINAG discloses more than 200 workers have been busy for doing the first phase of the renovation work with a budget of 75 million euros. When the tunnel was first commissioned in 1978, the estimated construction costs were around 300 million euros.

From German:

200 workers in the Arlbergtunnel

- construction work is on schedule No delays for traffic release on October 6

- 75 million euros for the renovation of roadway, safety facilities and drainage

- so far no problems with alternative traffic via Arlbergpass

On April 24th started the hot phase of comprehensive renovations in the longest road tunnel in Austria. Since then, more than 200 workers have taken care of the renewal of the almost 14 km long roadway, optimizing drainage and tunnel coating. The schedule is scarce, the dimension of the construction site enormous.

Before the tunnel has to be blocked again for the next stage of the renovation in 2024, it is important to plan the work this year in such a way that, as intended, the tunnel is available on October 6th before the winter season. The 200 workers do hard work around the clock over the clock, and there is an extensive fleet from special machines and vehicles.

ASFINAG is investing 75 million euros in the renovation in the next two years. In addition, another 30 million euros flow into the adaptation and comprehensive renewal of the toll point. After all, the tunnel lane and toll cabins have been in constant use since 1978.

Mega construction site with a focus on sustainability

Resource conservation is of the utmost importance even at a construction site of this dimension for ASFINAG. ASFINAG therefore relies on recycling on the 23,500 cubic meter of concrete lane. Around 60 percent of the old roadway will be reused and installed on site after the material has been prepared in a mixing system. Because no landfill areas are necessary and the recycling is largely on site, waste and truck trips are saved clearly.

A bright rock grain is also used for the surface of the concrete lane to reduce the electricity requirement for lighting. The addition of around 35 percent of this type of rock already improves the degree of reflection and enables a saving of 210,000 kWh/year. Saving energy is an important concern of ASFINAG and the increase in efficiency for the tunnels as the largest energy consumer. When building up in the area of the toll area, wood is also increasingly used as a building material. This also applies to the pedestrian bridge for customers: inside at the toll area.

All work is on schedule

Due to working in through operation, the construction site is on schedule despite difficult logistics. From the current point of view, the tunnel traffic release takes place as planned on October 6th. As soon as it goes into the home straight of the first lock, ASFINAG tests all safety devices so that the approximately 8,000 road users who use the tunnel per day find the greatest possible tunnel safety. After a performance check for several weeks, in which the tunnel is put through its paces for the functionality of its safety devices, it can be reopened on time from October 6th.

The 200 workers create around 400 meters of concrete lane and around 2,000 square meters of tunnel coating per day. Occupational safety is also strongly in the focus of ASFINAG. Due to the narrow space, the large manpower and the use of numerous devices and vehicles, extensive safety protocols were enacted so that work accidents can be avoided as far as possible.

Half of the tunnel is handled in 2023

As is well known, the Arlberg tunnel is the most important road connection in Western Austria and is located on Both Vorarlberg and on the Tyrolean side. In 2023 it is the turn of the Tyrolean side of the tunnel and will receive a new road until October. In the 2024 building season, it is the turn of the other half of the Arlberg tunnel on the Vorarlberg side.

The drainage lines and the coating on the tunnelulms for the 2023 building season are currently being completed. The concrete lane is currently also being installed and the increased side stripes are completed in the creation or the shafts for the mountain water collection line are also being built. Afterwards, those electrical facilities that have been dismantled to protect the workers must be re -rehearsed.

Available traffic currently without problems

Two years before the start of the work, ASFINAG started intensive information about alternative routes and construction work. In a shoulder closure with economic chambers, police, authorities and the federal states, there have been no major disabilities on the regional alternative route Arlbergpass. The renovation work at intersection B 198/L 68 with the traffic lights and the constant truck controls by the police contributed significantly to this. As is well known, this monitors the regulation on finish and source traffic for heavy traffic via the passport.

However, ASFINAG continues to ask for more time to drive over the passport and to find out about the provisions, driving bans and large-scale detour routes before starting the journey on the homepage http://www.asfinag.at/sperre-arlbergtunnel. Summer time means travel time - that's why there may be delays on weekends due to traffic overloads over the Arlberg Pass.

In 2024 lock begins in April

With the completion of the first full lock, the Arlberg tunnel will be available again from the 2023/2024 winter season. In plain language means: Until then, all safety devices of the tunnel must be made available fully functional. The second full lock of the Arlberg tunnel begins on April 15, 2024 and will last until the end of November 2024. From November 2023 to April 2024 there are no work so that traffic can drive through Arlberg tunnel unhindered during the winter months.

Key data for renovation of Arlbergtunnel 2023 and 2024

Length of Arlbergtunnel: 13,972 meters
Commissioning: December 1, 1978
Cost second phase renovation: 75 million euros
Planned blocks: April 24 to October 6, 2023; April 15 to November 22, 2024
Daily traffic in the tunnel: 8,000 vehicles/24 hours
23,500 m3 concrete lane
105,000 m2 asphalt application layer
110,000 m2 tunnel coating
12,000 m2 sealing gallery works

Full version in German: https://www.asfinag.at/ueber-uns/presse/pressemeldungen/arbeiten-im-arlbergtunnel-im-zeitplan-1/