GREEN LUNG NEAR FORTEZZA
In December 2023, the works for the H71 Isarco River Underpass lot, the southernmost construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel, was successfully completed. The use of innovative construction techniques and the utmost attention to the protection of flora and fauna were front and centre throughout the entire implementation phase.
Today, with the work completed, the traces of construction activities have largely disappeared. Around 50,000 plants and shrubs were planted on the former construction site.
Seeing this large green area near Fortezza, it’s hard to imagine that only a few years ago, complex tunnel excavation work under the Isarco River was taking place here. Nature has taken back the site, helped by targeted restoration measures.
OUTSKIRTS OF INNSBRUCK
The Sill Gorge is not only a starting point for hikes and walks, but also a popular recreational area for the Tyrolean population. During the work on the H21 Sill Gorge lot, between 2020 and 2024, access was only possible in a limited way via a substitute route.
With the completion of the work, nature restoration began immediately. Our aim was to restore the appearance of the creek and the gorge as much as possible to its original state, and thus minimise the traces of construction activities. Step by step, nature has taken back the area, and the Sill Gorge has once again become a place to enjoy nature to the fullest.
The only remaining evidence of the works are the railway bridges over the Sill stream and the huge portals to the BBT. However, these works also give us a glimpse of the future, a future where a nice cafè with Italian espresso will soon be just a few minutes away by train.
FOR PEACEFUL GRAZING
The Padastertal valley, near Steinach am Brenner, holds what is currently Europe's largest spoil disposal area, with a capacity of about 7.7 million m³. Along the hiking trail through the valley, once can clearly observe the sustainable transport of the vated material by conveyor belts.
But what will be the future of the valley? The excavated material will raise the valley floor by about 80 metres. Thus, instead of its original steep-sided and narrow V-shape, the valley will be a wide, green U-shape. In this way, the Padastertal will be better suited for agriculture and animal grazing in the future.
