Opening of the Belchen Rehabilitation Tunnel

On Friday, 1 July 2022, the Belchen rehabilitation tunnel was opened to traffic after eight years of construction. The third tube of the tunnel runs on the A2 between the Egerkingen (SO) and Eptingen (BL) junctions and is 3.2 km long. On behalf of the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), we were commissioned to plan the operating and safety equipment (OSS) for this technically complex project and to manage the construction work and commissioning. 

The renovation tunnel, with a total cost of around 500 million Swiss francs, will now enable the renovation of the two existing tubes following the successful completion of the project. Every day, around 55,000 vehicles travel through the directionally separated tubes.
Under the management of IUB Engineering Ltd, the following facilities were installed:

• Energy supply with the high and low voltage systems
• Tunnel lighting in LED technology
• Control and regulation of the driving area ventilation systems, consisting of 4 exhaust fans and 12 jet fans as well as the devices for measuring the flow and visual opacity
• Emergency equipment such as emergency fire lights, smoke detectors and fire alarm cables, video surveillance system, SOS niches with emergency telephones and Polycom radio control system with intercom facilities
• Traffic guidance system with dynamic and static signalling equipment, central reservation guidance system with underfloor lighting