Vinci-led consortium wins €800m deal to recover excavated material from Mont-Cenis base tunnel

The route of the Mont-Cenis Base Tunnel from France into Italy (Image supplied by Vinci)

A consortium of contractors led by Vinci has won a deal to recover excavated materials on the French side of the Mont-Cenis base tunnel (also known as the Mont d’Ambin Base Tunnel).

The work involves processing 23 million tonnes of materials excavated on the French side of the 57.5km-long tunnel through the Alps, which will be the longest rail tunnel in the world when complete.

The tunnel, estimated to cost around €8 billion, will carry a high-speed rail link between Lyon in France and Turin in Italy.

The consortium involves Eurovia Alpes (the lead and a Vinci Construction subsidiary), Carrières du Bassin Rhônalpin, Terélian (two Vinci Construction subsidiaries), SATM, Granulats Vicat (two Vicat subsidiaries), Spie Batignolles Valérian, Spie Batignolles Malet and GIE GMM 73.

The contractors will operate three permanent storage sites, three materials processing stations, eight logistics platforms, 15 km of conveyor belts and a full train loading facility. They aim to reuse 50% of the excavated material.

The consortium will also provide 78,000 hours of work and training for people on integration paths during the 120 months of works.

Vinci Construction is already involved in Lyon–Turin construction site, digging 23 km of twin-tube tunnel between Saint-Martin-de-la-Porte and Modane, preparing the construction of the Avrieux shafts near the future safety base at Modane and on the La Maddalena niches, on the Italian side of the Alps to create lateral niches to widen the tunnel and reinforce the vault.