Tag: Infrastrukturprojekte

  • Graubünden builds bigger, more expensive, longer

    Graubünden builds bigger, more expensive, longer

    128 construction sites do not mean relief, but concentration. Instead of many small interventions, the focus in 2026 will be on complex infrastructure projects that require more manpower, longer construction times and higher budgets. Traffic light systems will be used at 67 of the 128 construction sites to guide traffic through in an orderly fashion. The Graubünden Civil Engineering Office has set clear priorities.

    La Punt freed from through traffic
    The largest project is the La Punt bypass in the Engadin. In future, a 584-metre-long tunnel will run under the village center and a 55-metre-long bridge will cross the Inn. The total costs amount to 80 million Swiss francs and the construction period is eight years until 2033. After the ground-breaking ceremony in September 2025, the preliminary cuts in the Arvins area will be made in 2026. It is a relief for La Punt and a leap in quality for the Engadin.

    New tunnel for the Surselva
    Between Disentis and Curaglia, a new 500-metre-long tunnel will replace the dilapidated Las Ruinas tunnel and its two galleries. The work will take three years and traffic will remain in operation throughout the construction period. As the new tunnel runs directly next to the existing one in some places, night-time closures are unavoidable. An intervention that requires consideration, but is necessary.

    malix five years of work before completion
    On the Julierstrasse between Chur and Malix, the signs are pointing to the finale. The section lies in a landslide area and has been stabilized, widened and straightened over five years. The final work should be completed by July. As a visible sign of the new start, the section will be given a cycle lane. A project that was born out of necessity and ends up as a modern stretch of road.

    infrastructure as an investment
    Graubünden’s 2026 construction season shows that infrastructure is not a matter of course. Operating 1360 kilometers of cantonal roads through alpine terrain, landslide areas and flood zones requires continuous investment. Fewer construction sites, larger projects – this is not a cost-cutting exercise, but a strategic decision for sustainable quality.

  • Infrastructure investment gains momentum in Europe

    Infrastructure investment gains momentum in Europe

    Construction company Impleniahas secured major infrastructure projects in Germany and Norway, according to a press release. The contract package includes the new Peene Bridge in Wolgast, the replacement of the Main Bridge in Marktbreit, the first construction phase of the Riederwald Tunnel in Frankfurt am Main and the new Lågen Bridge in Norway.

    For the new Peene Bridge in Wolgast, Implenia is leading a consortium with DSD Brückenbau, Victor Buyck Steel Construction and Stahl Technologie Niesky. The approximately 1.4-kilometre-long cable-stayed bridge will connect the A20 motorway with the island of Usedom and, with a clearance height of 42 metres and 70-metre-high pylons, will be one of the largest bridges of its kind in Europe. Construction work has been underway since December 2025 and is expected to continue until 2030.

    Implenia is the technical leader in a consortium with Plauen Stahl Technologie for the replacement of the Marktbreit Main Bridge on the A7 motorway. The new bridge will be built as a steel composite box girder using the incremental launching method. It will be around 925 metres long and 31 metres wide. Construction is taking place while traffic continues to flow and will be completed by around 2033. The new contracts in Germany are rounded off by the construction of the new Riederwald Tunnel in Frankfurt am Main. In a consortium with Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau and Bickhardt Bau, Implenia is realising the centrepiece of the gap closure between two important motorway sections. The approximately 1.1-kilometre-long tunnel is being built using the open construction method. Work began in 2025 and will take around three years.

    In Norway, Implenia is building the Lågen Bridge on the new E6 Roterud–Storhove motorway on behalf of AF Gruppen. The 552-metre-long, four-lane concrete box girder bridge spans the Lågen River north of Lillehammer. Strict environmental regulations to protect breeding birds, spawning grounds and biodiversity minimise the impact on the sensitive delta area.

  • ImmoTable Basel – Of superclusters, new bridges and the path out of digital antiquity

    ImmoTable Basel – Of superclusters, new bridges and the path out of digital antiquity

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    Christof Klöpper, CEO of Basel Area Business & Innovation, kicked things off. He painted a picture of a region that is far more than “just” a pharmaceutical location. Although the life sciences supercluster remains a global leader, the innovation ecosystem has diversified.

    Supported by the three cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Jura, the organization focuses on international start-ups and a public-private partnership that is strongly driven by industry. Klöpper’s message was clear: the task is not just classic location promotion, but the active provision of innovation infrastructure for an ecosystem that is constantly growing.

    Basel-Stadt and the 500 million lever
    Julian Kamasa from the Office of Economy and Labor underlined how the canton of Basel-Stadt intends to further expand its position as a leading innovation location, supported by around 800 life sciences companies and numerous start-ups. At the heart of this offensive is the new “Basel location package”, with which the canton will take on a pioneering role throughout Switzerland from 2025.

    With an annual budget of 150 to 500 million francs, targeted investments will be promoted. 80% of the funds will flow into an innovation fund that rewards research and development activities at the location in particular. The remaining 20 percent supports social and ecological goals such as parental leave or climate protection measures.

    The core message is clear. Those who conduct substantial research in Basel benefit the most. The canton wants to use this financial leverage to consolidate its position as a leading European healthcare location, build up targeted tech expertise and transform the economy towards a circular economy. The great potential of urban transformation areas plays a key role in this.

    An urban planning liberation
    The presentation by Marko Kern (SBB) and Marc Février (Canton of Basel-Stadt), who presented the winning project for the new Margarethenbrücke bridge and platform access, took a concrete turn. A key project for future mobility. In view of the massive increase in passenger numbers due to the SBB expansion phase 2035 and the desire for more space for streetcar and bicycle traffic, the old bridge needs to be replaced.

    Following a study commission process, in which the listed SNCF hall posed a particular challenge, the project by Penzel Valier AG won out. It envisages a slender, elevated bridge with a green roof. This creates more space for all road users and integrates a new, barrier-free streetcar stop in the middle of the bridge.

    The benefits of the project are manifold. It improves the transfer at the SBB railroad station, relieves the Centralbahnplatz, optimizes the bicycle and pedestrian connections between Gundeldingen and the city centre and creates clear added value in terms of urban development with over 11,000 new bicycle parking spaces and additional green spaces. The costs in the low to mid three-digit million range are being borne jointly by the federal government and the canton, and the project is a prime example of successful cooperation.

    Out of the “digital antiquity
    Isabel Gehrer (pom+) held up a critical mirror to the industry. Her presentation “From digital antiquity to the industry of the future” showed the discrepancy between Switzerland as a world champion of innovation and a construction and real estate industry that provocatively remains in “digital antiquity” in terms of digital maturity.

    While Switzerland once again takes first place in the Global Innovation Index 2025 and Basel is home to three of the top 10 investors in Roche, Novartis and Syngenta, the real estate industry invests significantly less in innovation than other sectors. Only BIM has really caught on.

    Gehrer referred to Bill Gates’ concept of the “Green Premium”. Sustainable solutions must become so efficient that they no longer cost a premium. She cited the automotive industry as an example of success, where battery costs have fallen by 80 percent since 2010, making electric cars suitable for mass production.

    Her approach comprises four points. Securing research infrastructure through better networking between universities and industry, increasing research and development intensity, mobilizing venture capital for PropTechs and conducting strategic foresight in order to use transformation areas such as Klybeckplus as experimental spaces. Her appeal to the industry: “Let’s make it real.”

    Real Estate Award 2026
    To conclude the ImmoTable, Mara Schlumpf turned her attention to the coming year. The next Real Estate Award will take place on October 22, 2026 at Trafo Baden and will bring together around 300 decision-makers from the industry. The gala combines award ceremonies with top-class networking. Outstanding projects and companies will be honored in five categories, such as sustainability, digital, marketing, project development & innovation and the real estate personality of the year. The target group includes project developers, real estate and construction companies, investors, politicians and the media. For partners, the award offers exclusive visibility and access to a first-class network.

    The immoTable event impressively demonstrated that Basel has the capital, the infrastructure and the political will to change. Now it is up to the real estate industry itself to use the funds and areas provided with the necessary innovative spirit and to take the leap from digital antiquity into the future.