Feldkirch tunnel project regains lost time despite construction halt

Work on Feldkirch’s city tunnel has recovered part of the delay caused by construction stoppages, project officials told ORF Vorarlberg. Excavation for an underground roundabout is scheduled to begin in October or November.

The four-branch tunnel is the state of Vorarlberg’s largest and most controversial construction project. It is intended to shorten journeys between Feldkirch city centre and the motorway from 2030 and reduce traffic in the Tisis and Tosters districts.

Opponents fear the tunnel will attract additional heavy goods traffic, while supporters expect it to improve traffic conditions on Liechtensteiner Straße and at Bärenkreuzung.

A construction halt imposed by the environmental impact assessment authority was later found to be unlawful, but it delayed the tunnel works. “Despite the construction halt, we have managed to recover part of this lost time,” project manager Bernhard Braza told ORF Vorarlberg.

The environmental impact assessment approval contains more than 400 conditions covering water protection, noise and air quality, among other issues. Blasting is permitted only at specified times of day.

The project’s total cost is expected to range from 367 million to 385 million euros. This includes not only construction but also land acquisition, planning, expert reports and legal proceedings. Braza said some parts, including the Tisis exploratory tunnel, had been completed significantly below their original estimates.

He also warned that major projects involve budget uncertainties. The effects of the war in Iran on energy prices, and in turn on construction costs, could not yet be assessed, he said.

New construction phase planned for autumn

Project officials expect the Felsenau branch to be fully excavated by September. From October or November, workers will enlarge the section where the underground roundabout is to be built. They will then excavate a cavern for a ventilation shaft on Feldkirch’s Stadtschrofen, which will also house the firefighting water supply.

The Tisis branch is due to follow. Work is already under way on its portal, which is intended to allow heavy goods traffic from Liechtenstein to bypass the city centre. The Tosters branch is also planned to proceed in parallel, but a change to the environmental approval is still pending.

Under the revised plan for Tosters, the direction of excavation would be changed. Rock would be transported through the tunnel to Frastanz rather than being hauled by lorry through the city. The change is intended to reduce costs and ease traffic at Bärenkreuzung.

The tunnel must be completed by 2030 under the environmental impact assessment approval.