Installed concrete is crumbling Renovated roadway in the Lötschberg summit tunnel is already showing cracks

The concrete installed in 2021 and 2022 at the north portal of the Lötschberg summit tunnel carriageway is cracking and crumbling. BLS is now working with experts to investigate the causes of the damage to the roadway.

A few weeks ago, an inspection during the renovation of the approximately 15-kilometre-long Lötschberg railroad tunnel revealed damage to the new concrete on the track, wrote the SonntagsBlick newspaper. Experts suspected that sulphur water that had seeped in had damaged the track.

At the request of Keystone-SDA, BLS confirmed on Sunday that damage had "recently" been discovered on the concrete track in the northern part of the tunnel. Over a length of around 50 meters, the concrete shows cracks and crumbling on the surface. To ensure safety, tie rods have been installed to reliably maintain the track width of the roadway.

Amount of the renovation costs open

"We are now working with experts to investigate the exact causes of the damage to the track that was installed in 2021 and 2022," BLS added. This also includes analyzing the composition of the mountain water and the concrete. It is therefore still unclear what exactly needs to be remediated and what costs will be involved.

The detailed examination is expected to be completed in October. BLS will then initiate the further necessary steps for the long-term repair of the damage.

According to BLS, the ongoing construction work in the southern section of the tunnel, which is being carried out by the Rhomberg company, is not affected. And this construction work will be completed on schedule in October.

Much more expensive than planned

The ballast track in the Lötschberg summit tunnel has been replaced by a concrete track since 2018. Originally, the work was supposed to cost 105 million Swiss francs and be completed by the end of 2023. A year ago, however, BLS and Marti, the construction company entrusted with the work, announced that the renovation would cost CHF 180 million.

Marti had made high additional demands and unforeseen difficulties in the mountain and water ingress caused further additional costs. At the time, BLS held out the prospect of commissioning at the end of 2024. BLS commissioned the company Rhomberg to replace the lane for the final 1.5-kilometre section in the south of the tunnel.

SDA