PORR’s largest individual construction site: Final breakthrough in Koralm Tunnel achieved

The final breakthrough of the Koralm Tunnel will be celebrated today. PORR is building the third construction lot “KAT3” of the major Koralm railway project, that will make it possible to travel from Graz to Klagenfurt by train in just 45 minutes. Lot KAT3 involves the construction of two tunnel tubes with a total length of 21 km. The contract is worth EUR 297m.

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With a length of around 33 km, the Koralm Railway is Austria’s longest rail tunnel and one of the most extensive tunnel constructions in the world. “We are extremely proud to be part of this once-in-a-century project and to be able to demonstrate PORR’s expertise in civil engineering, infrastructure and tunnelling. The tunnel breakthrough is a key milestone and a special moment for everyone involved in the project,” said Karl-Heinz Strauss, CEO of PORR.

The Koralm Railway is a key project in the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor and links the up-and-coming economic areas on the Baltic Sea with the Adriatic region. The high-speed rail link will yield new capacities and significantly improve conditions for the transport of people and goods. “The Southern Line is one of the biggest and most spectacular infrastructure projects of Austria. The final breakthrough of Koralm Tunnel is a unique achievement and we are very proud of all miners, men and women who participated to make this historic project possible,” said Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB.

Lot KAT3 comprises the production of two tunnel tubes. While the conventional drill-and-blast and excavation methods were used to drive the south tunnel, the “KORA” tunnel boring machine was deployed for the north tunnel. The cross passages between the two tunnel tubes are being driven parallel to works on the south tunnel at intervals of 500 m. The breakthrough of the south tunnel was achieved back in 2018. The final breakthrough of the north tunnel will be celebrated today.