Wedoany.com Report-Nov. 20, The promoter of the Lyon-Turin rail link, TELT, released its latest progress update showing steady advancement across multiple construction zones on both the French and Italian sides of the Mont Cenis base tunnel project.

Eighteen excavation faces are active on the Lyon-Turin railway

In France, a raise-boring machine began operating last month from the Avrieux platform, excavating a 500-meter-deep ventilation and access shaft upward at an average rate of 7.7 meters per day. As of the end of October, a total of 45.3 kilometers of tunnels had been completed, representing 27.7 percent of the overall excavation scope, including 19.2 kilometers of the 57.5-kilometer Mont Cenis base tunnel itself.

Eighteen active excavation faces are currently operational across the French sites. At Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (CO9), under SNCF Réseau supervision, welded rails have been installed on the four main and service tracks between the Arvan and Arc river bridges. The call for tenders for the new international station, which will connect the future high-speed line with the existing historic route, has also been published.

At Saint-Julien-Montdenis (CO8), final concrete lining continues on the south tube from the French portal while conventional excavation advances on both tubes. Work has started on the tenth cross-passage linking the two tunnels.

Further west, TBM Viviana at Saint-Martin-la-Porte (CO7) is completing its calibration phase, progressing at approximately 3 meters per day. Two conventional excavation faces heading toward Lyon advance at about 1.2 meters daily. At La Praz (CO6), simultaneous blasting continues from the logistics gallery, with the 1,000th controlled detonation recently achieved.

At Villarodin-Bourget (CO5), preparatory work proceeds for the assembly cavern that will receive the first tunnel boring machine, while the initial kilometer of connecting galleries was reached in October.

Environmental and material management infrastructure is also taking shape. The Illaz processing plant (CO11) in France is now operational and will treat excavated material for reuse. A 5-kilometer network of electric conveyor belts will transport spoil between sites, eliminating over 700,000 truck movements. A similar facility is planned on the Italian side at CO10.

In Italy, at Chiomonte (CO3/4), demolition of the existing forecourt slab has been completed to allow extension of protective structures and lowering of the ground level for traditional excavation of the Maddalena 2 exploratory tunnel. At Salbertrand (CO10), foundation piles for a new bridge over the Dora Riparia River have been installed, and initial retaining walls are in place.

Environmental monitoring continues, with four piezometers recently installed near the future Interconnection Tunnel (CO1) site to track groundwater levels on both banks of the Dora River.

The cross-border project continues to advance according to schedule, with all major civil engineering contracts active and supporting infrastructure progressively coming online.