Project milestones in the second half of 2021
Work begins on the Spitallamm dam
Early June saw work begin on a dam being constructed 2,000 metres above sea level. We are building a new, 113 metre tall, double curved concrete dam immediately in front of the existing wall at Grimselpass. The old dam wall will remain in place and be filled from both sides. The new construction ensures that more than a million people can be supplied with electricity using water from the Grimselsee lake.
Opening of «Museumsinsel» underground station in Berlin
The opening of Museumsinsel station in early July completes Berlin’s very first fully accessible underground line. With 6,662 illuminated dots, its ceiling is reminiscent of a starry sky. The station’s location directly under the Spree canal demanded unusual solutions, with our civil engineering specialists conducting what was at the time Europe’s largest ever urban ground freezing. A video shows how the project came about.
Constructon begins on the Kantonsspital Aarau
Work on the new hospital in Aarau officially began in mid-August. Currently Switzerland’s largest hospital building, it encompasses three areas – walk-in clinics, functional areas and wards – connected by the shortest routes possible, and is expected to go into operation in 2025. Implenia took over the former ARGE partner, BAM Swiss AG, in May, making it the sole total contractor.
Groundbreaking for the Empa / Eawag Campus
Barely four months after the groundbreaking ceremony, the foundation stone for the Empa and Eawag "co-operate" research campus was laid at the beginning of September 2021. At the ceremony in Dübendorf, representatives of all partners involved in the project filled a time capsule with time-typical items in the presence of around 50 guests. Construction work is scheduled for completion by mid-2024.
Groundbreaking on the Gotthard
At the end of September, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the second tube of the Gotthard road tunnel took place at two ceremonies in Göschenen and Airolo. Implenia had already been awarded the contracts for the two preparatory lots "Relocation of the north safety tunnel" and "North access tunnel and logistics excavations" several months ago and had begun the complex tunneling and civil engineering work.
Inauguration of the southwest bypass Brugg
At the beginning of October 2021, the approximately 1-kilometer-long Brugg southwest bypass was opened to traffic - almost a year ahead of schedule. Many of Implenia's core competencies, such as road construction, concrete construction, bridge building, repair and the construction of concrete traffic circles, were used here. And with the circular economy applied, the CO2 footprint was minimized, making a positive contribution to the environment.