Up to now the heavily frequented highway has been situated near the river banks in the inner city. This means noise, pollution and little space for pedestrians or bikers. The city is cut in two by the highway and the centre is affected very negatively.

The existing highway will be translocated and run through the new tunnel in the future. The free space above ground will be used for new buildings, parks, and a promenade. Thereby Saarbrücken will receive a new “City Centre by the River”. The engineering challenge is to build a 1.6 km long tunnel under the city with the existing highway still being in use. Moreover all connected bridges and all supply and sewage lines have to be renewed or modified. Within the consortium Grontmij specialists will be responsible for parts of the object design and structural design of the tunnel. They will take over part of the scheduling of the construction phase which is crucial for the whole project due to a rather tight time frame and the necessity to build under current traffic.

Jochen Ludewig, Business line leader Transportation & Mobility states: ‘The whole project aims at an increased quality of life for Saarbrücken’s inhabitants by reducing noise and air pollution in the heart of the city.’

Ina Brandes, country managing director in Germany, is happy about winning the fascinating tunnel project. ‘It fits exactly into our new growth segment ‘Highways and Roads We have implemented this strategy on European level to further strengthen and develop Grontmij’s market position in the next years. We are eager to challenge the market with successful projects especially in the roads segment.’