Spoil Management and Soil Protection
(January 2003)

Along the Swiss national motorways and cantonal roads, as well as in industrial areas, the heavy metal content in the upper soil layer often exceeds given legal limits. By the realization of building projects in such affected areas, Colenco's environmental specialists are working in tandem with spoil removal contractors to provide solutions to the demands of the authorities.

For the purpose of increasing capacity of the A1 Baregg motorway by Baden, Switzerland, a third, three-lane tunnel with a length of 1.1 km is being developed. The necessary re-routing of the existing, as well as the building of new roadways requires intervention east and west of the three tunnels. In addition to the excavated tunnel material, surface soil material is excavated, transported, stockpiled and where possible, put back to use.

The concentration of heavy metals along this stretch of motorway are up to 16 times above the legally allowed limit. This and the fact of naturally occurring oil contaminant in the sandstone of the excavated tunnel material necessitates the employment of a soil specialist in accordance with the environmental impact report.

For this matter, under contract from the civil works department of the canton Argovia, a soil specialist from Colenco Power Engineering Ltd has provided environmental expertise along the entire construction site since the beginning of construction in 1999 and will continue to until completion in 2004.

Together with the organisation and review of additional soil investigations, he supervises all transport of excavated material and, together with the construction supervisors, determines the location and type of temporary storage sites in accordance with environmental laws and regulations. In the case of unearthed refuse, he will reach appropriate decisions in arrangement with the cantonal environmental protection department, the construction supervisors and contractors.

After conclusion of the construction project, proper handling and management of excavated material will be verified through a detailed, comprehensive report.

Spoil from the new Baregg tunnel.

The transport, intermediate storage and the possible later re-use of oil contaminated sandstone, excavated from the 3rd Baregg tunnel, is carefully monitored.

Bruno Roggwiller - Water and Environment