As part of the overall renewal of the A8 motorway between Interlaken-Ost and Brienz, the entire operating and safety equipment (OSA) is being completely renewed under the management of IG Engineering N08 (IUB Engineering, IM Maggia). In particular, this also includes the OSAs in the two tunnels Sengg (870m) and Chüebalm (1,325m).
The project was planned between 2012 and 2019, with temporary equipment initially being installed during the realisation phase to make room for the structural renovation of the tunnels. Since autumn 2023, the definitive BSAs have been installed and put into operation step by step. The final, integral overall tests were carried out in the last week of June. This involved checking that the interaction of all systems works perfectly (fire alarm system + ventilation system + signalling + lighting, etc.).
The site management of IG Engineering N08 prepared a detailed test programme for these comprehensive commissioning tests of the Sengg and Chüebalm tunnels, which allowed the interdependencies of the systems to be put through their paces. The commissioning tests for the Sengg and Chüebalm tunnels lasted a total of two nights and were successfully completed. All systems functioned as desired. In both the Sengg and Chüebalm tunnels, the BSAs that were once provisionally installed for the construction renovation phase will be dismantled in the coming days.
The next major milestone will be the integral BSA final test in the Giessbach tunnel in mid-August.
