Sibiu-Pitești Highway: Boița 1 Tunnel's First Gallery Breached

The first gallery of the Boița 1 tunnel, a key component of the Sibiu-Pitești highway's second section, has been successfully breached. Cristian Pistol, the director general of the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration (CNAIR), announced the milestone on Monday. This tunnel consists of two galleries, measuring 264 and 247 meters respectively. Turkish contractors from the Mapa-Cengiz association completed the breakthrough for the gallery heading towards Pitești. The second gallery, intended for traffic from Pitești to Sibiu, still requires 152 meters of excavation.

Work on the Boița-Cornetu section is progressing simultaneously on two other tunnels. At the Balota tunnel, measuring 500 meters, external lining is being applied near the exit portal, with excavation at 4%. The Robești tunnel, 900 meters long, has seen both its galleries breached, with physical progress at approximately 36%. Foundation work for the bench is underway near the entrance portal.

Overall, 630 workers and 150 pieces of equipment are mobilized on the section 2 construction site. The general physical progress for the entire section stands at about 13%. However, CNAIR Director General Pistol noted that contractors can only execute about 45% of the total contracted work due to the absence of a revised environmental agreement and subsequent construction permits for the entire site. Consequently, activities are concentrated on tunnels, viaducts, embankments, and consolidation work where permits are available.

Section 2 of the highway, spanning 31.33 kilometers, will feature seven tunnels constructed using the NATM method. This technique leverages the natural strength of the rock mass for support through shotcrete, bolting, and stabilization. The contract is valued at 4.25 billion lei (excluding VAT) and is funded by the Transport Program.

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Prima galerie a tunelului Boița 1 de pe Autostrada Sibiu-Pitești a fost străpunsă.