Progress of the Work under the Bratislava Castle

21. 12. 2009

In December, a successful hydraulic test was carried out on the new water pipeline in the tunnel under the Bratislava Castle. The objective of the ongoing reconstruction is to secure the static safety and durability of the load-bearing structure so the tunnel would comply with the European safety criteria. The reconstruction is planned to last from May 2009 to May 2010. Upon its completion, the speed of trams going through the tunnel will be increased and the tunnel will be fitted with new lighting and camera systems. The total cost of the tunnel reconstruction amounts to € 8.1 million, excluding VAT. The investor of the construction is the Capital City of Bratislava; the members of the contracting entity are OHL ŽS, a.s., Skanska BS a.s. Prievidza and Trnavská stavebná spoločnosť a.s.

“This year, we completed the work with a successful hydraulic test of the new DN 800 pipeline. Next year, we still have to build the cross-connection of both tunnel portals and also cover the pipe gallery with duct covers as a part of the surface finishing which will result in the final straight-line design of the track structure,” explained Miroslav Patsch, the Project Manager from Skanska BS.

The tunnel was built as a vehicular tunnel in 1943-1949. The last larger reconstruction of the construction was executed in the 1980s. ”One of the objectives of the current reconstruction is to secure the static safety and durability of the load-bearing structure. When the works have been completed, the tunnel should comply with the strict European safety criteria,” said Dušan Chovanec, the Commercial and Economic Manager of OHL ŽS, a.s., organisational unit. It will be fully lit and will be permanently monitored by cameras. At the same time, the speed of trams, which had been decreased to 10 km/h to protect the safety of passengers in the last months preceding the closing of the tunnel,, will increase.

The Capital City of Bratislava in cooperation with Dopravný podnik Bratislava a.s. officially launched the project of reconstruction of the tram tunnel under the Bratislava Castle in May 2009. The members of the contracting entity include OHL ŽS, a.s., Skanska BS a.s. Prievidza and Trnavská stavebná spoločnosť a.s.