Beskid Tunnel: description, reconstruction and photo

Ukraine has everything to be a successful power. Favorable geographical position makes its territory transit for all types of cargo coming from Asia, Russia to Europe and back. The neutral status of the state for many years helped the country earn its capital only through the transfer of goods, without any effort. The main routes that connect the developed European countries, trade with which is advantageous and promising, pass through the Carpathian Mountains. It is vitally important for the country to have these sections of roads and railways in the best condition and with high throughput. The Beskydy Tunnel - one of the most important railroads - has become obsolete morally, technically and intellectually for a long time. The situation began to be corrected only in 2013.

General information

The Beskid Tunnel passes through the mountain range of the Carpathians and connects the Beskid and Skotarskoye stations. It belongs to the Lviv railway, and its length is 1750 meters. The first tunnel was built at a time when the western part of present-day Ukraine belonged to Austria-Hungary. The current tunnel is the same age as the Emperor Franz Josef.

Its construction in 1886 was of great importance, and now this direction for the Ukrainian economy is strategically important - more than 60% of the goods passing through Ukraine to Western Europe go through the Beskid Tunnel. The old tunnel was damaged by an explosion during the retreat of Hungarian troops during the Second World War, restored by the forces of all railways of the USSR and opened for operation in 1946. Today it is the only European road with a single-track traffic. To go through the tunnel, the trains line up. The new way completely solves this problem and several others.

Financial issue

Originally, the old tunnel wanted to modernize, expand and supply new equipment. The calculation of costs between the construction and repair of the old highway showed that the laying of a new branch would be more appropriate. The project was handled by the state company Ukrzaliznytsya, and the total cost of all works is more than 2 billion hryvnia, which is the most ambitious program for the entire period of Ukrainian independence.

The financing was undertaken by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funds are allocated as loans of special purpose under state guarantees. Control over the development of funds is provided by the Austrian consulting company 2Consulting: without the permission of its authorized representative, not a single kopek will go out of account. According to the project, the whole load is taken over by a new tunnel, and the old building will be used as a siding in case of an emergency.

Justification of construction

The new Beskid Tunnel is laid thirty meters from the current one. He will pass up to 100 pairs of trains during the day, i.e., the efficiency will increase 47 times, while the speed of the convoy will be equal to 60 km per hour. The cross-sectional area of the two-way tunnel, according to the project, is 115 square meters. The warranty period of operation, according to experts, will be about 100 years.

The old highway is in an emergency condition, and maintaining its efficiency is an urgent necessity, but this is problematic. The speed of the trains running along the old tunnel is only 40 km per hour, in many places the inner shell is damaged, underground water penetrates into it, because of which there are constant leaks, and in winter every day it is necessary to take out from the tunnel up to 15 tons of ice on the vaults.

Starting work

The opening of new communication opportunities is expected both in Europe and in Russia, since the Beskydy Tunnel is very important for interstate economic ties. Construction began with the laying of infrastructure, electric networks were built, a small concrete plant was built, access roads were designed and laid. For workers, a hostel has been built, the preparatory work took about a year.

The tunnel is tunneled in 2 stages. The first stage includes the elaboration of the upper part (kallota), where the arch is fixed by temporary fasteners made of metal. At the second stage, the lower part is arranged with an additional sample of the soil to a depth of 3 meters. If one of the problems in the old tunnel was a two-sided path, and the upper point was in the middle of the tunnel, which caused the train to pass the second part of the road at increased speed, then the new one will start from the top. In the end, the Beskydy tunnel will have a width of 10.5 meters. The height of the building will be 8.5 meters.

Drilling technology

The laying of the way is carried out by the drilling and blasting method, which meets the characteristics of the Carpathian Mountains, where the Beskid Tunnel is being built. The contractor fulfilling the order is the building association Interbudmontazh. 180 specialists are employed in the works. The daily cycle of penetration consists of the following stages:

• Drilling holes to lay explosives.
• Bookmark explosives and blasting.
• Ventilation.
• Selection and rollback of the rock from the face.
• Reinforcement of the arch with metal structures.
• Mechanized spraying of concrete.

In connection with the carrying out of blasting operations near the existing, but already dilapidated old tunnel, the activity of blasting the rock is carried out during the "window", when there is no passage of trains. After each explosion, the condition of the old tunnel is checked.

Course of work

For the construction of the Beskid railroad tunnel, 81 thousand cubic meters of concrete, more than 7 thousand tons of metal fastenings will be used in the total calculation. The project includes the construction of about 50 niches and 12 cameras along the entire facility. To ensure the normal operation of the staff, as well as possible evacuation between the two tunnels, a technical corridor is laid. To monitor the state of the tunnel, it is equipped with a 24-hour video surveillance system, installs a ventilation system, conducts stationary and emergency lighting, and connects gauging sensors to the space.

Completely the project was planned to be delivered in 2016, but according to media reports in January 2016 only the first stage of construction at the Beskid Tunnel facility was completed. Photos from the scene show the intermediate state of the process. The delivery of the object moved to the last quarter of 2017. This is due to the events in Ukraine (ATO), when the construction was temporarily frozen due to a ban on the purchase of domestic explosives. Subsequently, it was possible to obtain permission to purchase it abroad, and the work was resumed.

Working staff and working conditions

The situation on the construction of the Beskydy Tunnel has now been normalized. The first stage was successfully completed in January 2016. Works are conducted round the clock. The specialists of the company "Interbudmontazh" work at the facility for three weeks, after which they stay at home for seven days. Employees and engineering staff of the Lviv Railway are on construction 3-4 working days in a row, after which they have the same number of days off.

According to the staff of the staff, it is easy to work under the European auspices. This is indicated by the mountain master and the builders themselves. The locals got a job: in the canteen, in the reinforcement and repair shop, in the mini-factory, which supplies the construction with its own concrete. Only 80 specialists work in the tunnel. And the whole team has 180 people.

Condition of construction

In addition to the tunnel itself, it is required to build and restore all the infrastructure that no one has been engaged in since the independence of Ukraine. The main struggle for financing and construction is carried out in these areas of work. In addition, the European side has already fulfilled its financial obligations, and the allocated funds are being controlled. But, according to international rules, the EBRD provided 75% of the total work budget, the rest is for Ukrainian structures, and they are not in a hurry to transfer them, so the deadline for completion of work in 2017 does not seem real to everyone.

The state of the Beskydy Tunnel is currently at the stage of launching the second stage of construction and high hopes for an early completion. The Ukrainian side, in the person of a construction organization, clearly fulfills its obligations and prefers to give the palm of the first place to negotiations with Ukrainian officials to European partners.