New Geneva tunnel to improve city and international links

Tunnellers digging from two ends of a new tunnel in Geneva met up on Friday as part of an ambitious project to improve transport.

Some 60 workers have been relaying each other since September 2017 to dig the 500-metre tunnel for an underground road – the future “Route des Nations” — linking the Grand-Saconnex motorway roundabout to the city’s international district.

The tunnel has been progressing at a rate of 70 cm a day and has dug out 60,000 cubic metres of material, according to Geneva authorities.

“This is a project of major importance,” said Serge Dal Busco, head of the Geneva Infrastructure Department in a statement on Friday.

The new Route des Nations is designed to absorb the passage of 20,000 vehicles per day, relieving the pressure on the road to Ferney, just over the border in France, and making it possible to create a new tram line and sections for bicycles and pedestrians. It is planned to open in mid-2023 at a projected cost for the project of CHF153 million ($166 million).