Starting the machine
To check the functionality of the TBM, it was turned on for the first time on 2nd December 2020. Dr. Josef Hess was allowed to start the 950 t machine. The excavated material produced during the milling operation was brought out of the mountain using troughs, as the conveyor belt is not yet ready for use. Regular driving will start on 11th January 2021, from which date the machine will grab its way through the mountain an average of 20 m a day towards Sachseln. It will probably arrive there in June 2022. The work is all proceeding within the planned time frame.
Virtual tour of the construction site
Anyone who would like to visit the construction site and see the TBM and the crane up close can do so. Click here to go to the virtual construction site tour.