2023-11-13 10:43:50
The drilling of the tunnel bypassing the village of Evoouettes (VS) was completed on Monday. Very complex, the site gave the engineers a hard time. The opening of the work is planned for 2025.
The construction of the Evouettes tunnel, in the town of Port-Valais, was not a walk in the park. The route of the tunnel passes through soft ground, “it’s a bit like digging in sand,” commented Vincent Pellissier, head of the Valais mobility service and cantonal engineer.
To solidify the ground, the specialists opted for the “jetting” method consisting of injecting cement grout at very high pressure. But the process resulted in greater surface deformations than anticipated by initial studies.
Started in 2018, the excavation work was interrupted in March 2021 and for almost a year to carry out studies and tests and find another technical solution. The choice fell on the “double umbrella vault”, a process which has proven itself, but which requires more drilling, causing a delay of six to eight months and an additional cost of 8.7 million francs.
Delays and additional costs
The opening of the bypass initially planned for 2022 has been postponed several times. It is now planned for 2025. Monday’s official ceremony marks the completion of the tunnel boring work and the junction of the north and south tubes.
The construction of the 657 meter tunnel with an emergency gallery was the major stage of the road project with a total length of 1450 meters. This also includes other connection works.
The total cost of the bypass amounts to around 134 million francs, including 85 million for drilling the tunnel. It is financed mainly by the Swiss main roads fund, the balance being distributed between the canton and the municipalities concerned. The distribution key is not yet exactly defined due to a legislative change, specifies Vincent Pellisier.
Relieve the lives of local residents
The bypass will relieve Evouettes of through traffic and will strengthen safety and the quality of life of users and local residents. The village is currently crossed by some 16,000 vehicles per day, especially during rush hours in the morning and evening.
Placed for investigation in 2002, the project would have little chance of being validated as it stands today, particularly given its great complexity and its cost. According to the head of the mobility department, the first approach currently is to “requalify” a road, that is to say, to reorganize it to allow safer and more comfortable coexistence between different users, for example by lowering the speed. authorized for vehicles and giving space to pedestrians and soft mobility.
For the record, the tunnel and the Evouettes bypass road are an extension of the H144 road opened in 2012 between Rennaz (VD) and Evouettes.
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