Tenders will be sought this year for the construction of Line 1 of Italy’s Bologna Metro, the first metro line to be built in the city. The line will run for 12km with 6.5km being underground, 5.6km to be bored by 9.8m diameter EPBM as a single tube tunnel with an i.d. of 8.9m diameter.
The tunnelled section, which includes 13 stations, consists of Lot 1 which will run between Fiera Michelino and FS station at a cost of US$415M, and the US$263M Lot 2A will cover the stretch from FS station to the Hospital Maggiore.
Geological conditions will be extremely complex along the alignment, and will include soils, gravel and sand, coarse sand and gravel, medium and fine sands, silty sands, and sandy silt, silty clay, clay sand and organic clay. The tunnel is also under the water table with a head of some 10-15m. A major concern will be the 400+ extremely sensitive historic buildings located in the zone of influence of possible tunnel induced settlement.
Italian consultant Geodata has undertaken the Final Design of the entire metro line, which includes the civil works. Completion is scheduled by 2016.
The Italian Government’s approval of the scheme comes as good news to the Bologna Municipality following last year’s suspension of the project due to governmental problems with the delivery of funding.
Comments: