Carmel Tunnels
Israel, Haifa and the north
roads and interchanges
Completed
Carmel Tunnels
Israel, Haifa and the north
roads and interchanges
Completed
Ashtrom, in collaboration with a partner, has taken a significant part in constructing the Carmel Tunnels, one of the largest and most complex infrastructure initiatives in Israel to this day. The project included the digging of two pairs of tunnels and a central interchange not far from Neve Sha’anan, having been implemented as part of a government long-term concession scheme agreement.
6km
Route length
5,000
Controlled blasts
2,500
Tonnes of soil evacuated by 300 trucks
Project Description
An Unusual Traffic Venture
The Carmel Tunnels project connects the western to the eastern approaches to Haifa, significantly shortening the journey time between them. Use of the Carmel Tunnels reduces air pollution, lightens traffic in the area and improves the quality of life of the city’s and surrounding areas’ residents.
The route length of the tunnels, opened for traffic in late 2010, is about 6 km., each tunnel containing 2 traffic lanes in each direction. The tunnel construction process started in 2007 with meticulous planning, proceeded with underground rock cutting and blasting and concluded with excavation and laying of the roadway. The main challenge was to execute the work efficiently while keeping disruption of the Haifa residents’ daily routine to a minimum and safeguarding the quality of the environment and biodiversity.
The construction process entailed 5,000 controlled blasts and the evacuation of around 2,500 tonnes of soil using about 300 trucks over a route specially laid for this purpose. The main interchange in the Central Carmel district consists of a complex of 8 overpasses erected by applying unique engineering solutions. The industrialized components used for the construction of the bridges were produced at the Ashkrit factory, a subsidiary of Ashstrom Construction. These elements were then transported to the construction site and assembled on location.
