Veidekke ASA and Bane NOR have signed a contract for the construction of the Skogertunnelen, a new double-track tunnel from Drammen to Kobbervikdalen on Norway’s Vestfoldbanen railway. The design and build contract has a contract value of US$175M. Construction will start in autumn 2019 and is scheduled be completed in four years.
The contract comprises the construction of a 6km tunnel through Strømsåsen, and the 300m ‘day zone’ that will connect the tunnel to existing tracks. Including evacuation tunnels, Veidekke will build a total of 10.8km of tunnel, and will line approx. 165,000m2 with concrete cast in situ, to secure against frost and water penetration.
“With Veidekke, we have a solid industry player contributing to our project in Drammen. They provide quality, have good references, and we know them well from previous tunnel projects,” says Stine Undrum, EVP Infrastructure Construction Division in Bane NOR. “When ready for commissioning in 2024, the Drammen–Tønsberg double track will allow for two trains per hour in each direction between Oslo and Tønsberg, thus more than doubling the capacity, and providing improved and more efficient transit for passengers on the Vestfoldbanen railway,” says Undrum.
The project “UDK01 Mountain tunnel and day zone Skogertunnelen” is part of the InterCity development in East Norway, which constitutes Norway’s largest communication project ever. Skogertunnelen is an important piece of the continuous double track connection between Drammen and Tønsberg, scheduled for commissioning in 2024.
“We are extremely pleased to have succeeded in winning this major contract, which will mean so much for so many. In this assignment, Veidekke’s rock and concrete core expertise will be put to good use. We now look forward to a good collaboration with Bane NOR about the construction of Skogertunnelen, which will give train commuters in South-East Norway greater flexibility in their everyday life,” says Jimmy Bengtsson, Group CEO in Veidekke.
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