The challenge
Travelling from Prague to the German border on the motorway D5 is a long trip. Passing through a hilly, forested landscape, one of the obstacles travellers encounter is the city of Plzen. The exhaust from thousands of vehicles passing daily through the heart of town fill the air. The Plzen by-pass needs to improve mobility and reduce the environmental impact. Two parallel tunnels with a central pillar of reinforced concrete - cutting through the Valik hill near Plzen.

The approach
The extreme geotechnical conditions provide a challenge and require intelligent solutions to guarantee safety. A detailed design of geotechnical measurements and an exploratory audit are completed in preparation of the excavation. Based on that information, the most efficient and safest construction process is defined. During boring, continuous assessments and monitoring of the structure are conducted, enabling structural modifications during construction if specified limits are exceeded.
To protect Plzen's drinking water source, construction wastewater is drained and disposed of ecologically. And a contingency plan provides safety for the workers on-site.

The result
The key to a faster, safer and environmentally friendly new connection. Enhanced mobility, offering new roads to development.