The damage detected last summer in the Lötschberg ridge tunnel between Kandersteg (BE) and Goppenstein (VS) will result in costs estimated at between two and three million francs, the BLS said on Tuesday. Sulfur water damaged the concrete. The more than century-old structure has just been renovated.
These sulfates attacked the concrete in two locations: 3.5 kilometers from the north portal and four kilometers from the south portal. It was during an inspection that the railway company noted cracks in the concrete poured in 2021 and 2022 in this 15 kilometer long structure.
These areas were immediately stabilized in order to guarantee operational safety, the Bernese company stressed. High sulfate content can cause surface cracking and spalling of concrete. In certain places, the anchoring of the rails in the concrete track is weakened.
Work this year
The BLS will replace the damaged roadway with sulfate-resistant concrete over a length of 50 meters. Other sections will be cleaned and impregnated. The company says it will likely repair the track at both damaged locations by the end of the year.
The sanitation work, which is expected to last between four and six weeks, can take place without interruption of railway operations. The work should also take place outside of holidays so as not to disrupt piggyback services.
-The renovation of the Lötschberg peak tunnel, inaugurated in 1913, took almost six years to be completed in October 2024. The ballast track had to be replaced by a concrete roadway. Unforeseen events caused delays and additional costs of approximately 75 million. The total cost reached 180 million francs.
>> Also read: Cracks appear in the new concrete of the Lötschberg ridge tunnel
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