Logistics and materials management

The upper Leventina and the Reuss valley in Uri in particular are known for their narrow gorges, which pose numerous challenges for material logistics in and around the Gotthard tunnel construction site.

Of the 7.4 million tonnes of excavated material used in the construction of the second Gotthard tunnel, around 7.2 million tonnes will be used elsewhere: for tunnel construction (1.5 million tonnes), for the renovation of the first tube (0.3 million tonnes), for resurfacing the motorway near Airolo (1.9 million tonnes) and for the renaturation of the shallow water zones in Lake Uri (3.5 million tonnes). Only 0.2 million tonnes will definitely be used for landfil. Handling such a huge amount of material is very demanding with challenges varying depending on the phase of construction. The material is first excavated, then prepared for the various projects before finally being transported to the designated sites.

With the entry into operation of the two tunnel boring machines (TBM) for the main tunnel at the beginning of 2025, materials management goes into full operation.

The excavated material is categorised in the tunnel: Surplus type A and type B material is used for lake filling in Lake Uri and for upgrading the Airolo region. Material that is too fine and unsuitable for filling is sorted out immediately and disposed of properly. The categorisation of the material should not be confused with the usual material classification for landfills.

The A material from the TBM South is transported via conveyor belt to the processing plant in Stalvedro, around three kilometres away, where it is prepared for later use as a concrete additive. Until the concrete is produced, the A material is stored at the various interim landfill sites in Stalvedro before being transported back to Airolo via another conveyor belt. The concrete is then returned to the tunnel via the concrete plant in Airolo.

The B material also arrives at Stalvedro via conveyor belts, but is immediately diverted to an interim storage facility and can be used from there for later filling projects.

Processing and interim storage take place primarily on the south side of the Gotthard. The material excavated on the north side and suitable for reuse is transported through the railway tunnel from Göschenen to Airolo, where it is integrated into the material cycle explained above. The processed material is also transported back to Göschenen by rail.