In recent days, a blessing ceremony was held to mark the start of traditional excavation work at the Naples end of the Orsara tunnel, a strategic part of the future Naples-Bari high-speed rail link, which will be approximately 9.9 km long and is currently under construction thanks to the excavation of two TBMs.

The entrance on the Naples side is a single-tube double track: progress thus moves from the ‘surface’ construction site to the natural tunnel, according to a construction sequence calibrated to geology, safety and continuity of operation of the SS90.

“Traditional excavation” means proceeding in short, controlled stages, with pre-support and consolidation at specific points. Upstream, the entrance has been equipped with a bulkhead of large-diameter piles (Ø 1,200 mm) with five rows of tie rods; behind, in the initial attack zone, a 16 m buffer made of ‘plastic piles’ is planned. On this front, pre-supporting measures are carried out with 18 m VTR pipes, before and after the first few metres of natural ground, to stabilise the core of the advance. The attack is completed by a 3 m concrete template and a short artificial section with a portal, before the final entry into natural ground.

To ensure traffic safety and flow, the works at the entrance were preceded by a temporary embankment and a temporary diversion of the SS90 road, with subsequent restoration to its original location. The phases include the installation of plastic piles and bulkhead piles, excavation, slope stabilisation and instrumental monitoring during construction.

This traditional start confirms Impresa Pizzarotti & C. S.p.A.’s commitment to the Naples-Bari high-speed railway construction sites: a project based on responsible engineering, geotechnical risk management and attention to the local area. We continue to transform a priority infrastructure into a concrete, solid and safe project.