Unstable Riedberg tunnel in Valais urgently needs to be secured
Published: Thursday, Sep 19th 2024, 11:40
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Massive landslides are jeopardizing the safety and stability of the Riedberg tunnel currently under construction in Upper Valais. The State Council has therefore decided to make use of the general police clause to build a drainage tunnel as quickly as possible. The costs for the measure amount to around 25 million francs.
Construction is expected to begin between the end of September and the beginning of October. The decision to start the work was made in consultation with and with the approval of the Federal Roads Office (Astra), the canton of Valais announced on Thursday.
The technical challenges in the construction of the Riedberg tunnel near Gampel VS as part of the A9 freeway construction site in Upper Valais are high, which is why the National Roads Office regularly analyzes the situation.
At the beginning of September, after several instances of heavy rainfall, the results of the analysis showed "a strong acceleration of the slope movements". As a result, the safety and stability of the Riedberg tunnel and the surrounding road network as well as the safety of road users could no longer be guaranteed in the event of further heavy rainfall, the canton wrote.
By activating the general police clause, the State Council is exempting the work from a public requirement and from public procurement law. The new 1.5-kilometre-long tunnel, which will be dug above the tunnel, will drain the slope in order to reduce the deformation of the tunnel.
Astra is covering 96 percent of the estimated costs of CHF 25 million for the tunnel. The construction costs for the tunnel were estimated at CHF 220 million.
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