Implenia closes important gap in Berlin's Mitte district
Dietlikon, December 4, 2020 - The first regular trains have been running on Berlin's new U5 subway line since midday today. The "Gap Closure U5" is one of the largest transport infrastructure projects in the German capital and was successfully completed after around eight years of construction. The 2.2 km long line forms the long-awaited connection of the U5 between the Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz, where it joins the existing U55 line. Three new subway stations were also built as part of the project: Unter den Linden, Museum Island and Rotes Rathaus. The client is Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG); BVG Projekt GmbH was entrusted with the project management.
Implenia built two parallel tubes, each 1.7 km long, a track switching system and the shells of the Unter den Linden and Museum Island stations to close the gap. Since 2012, Implenia experts under the technical direction of Peter Hoppe have been working across all departments on this extremely challenging large-scale project. Implenia successfully handed over Unter den Linden station, the tunnel tubes and the track switching system to BVG at the end of 2017. Another important milestone followed in February 2020 with the shell construction of the Museumsinsel subway station. One particular challenge was that the Spree Canal, the listed Schlossbrücke bridge and the Bertelsmann representative office are located directly above the Museumsinsel station. As part of the largest inner-city ground freezing project in Europe to date, Implenia's specialist civil engineering experts froze the subsoil to a volume of 28,000m3. Only then was it possible to construct the platform area and then the station tubes by mining means under the protection of the ice. The Museumsinsel station is expected to go into operation in summer 2021 - until then, trains will run through it without stopping. As a final engineering highlight, the diaphragm wall, which formed the temporary construction pit enclosure in the area of the Spree Canal for the construction of the shell of Museum Island, was divided into individual segments weighing up to 30 tons by the summer of this year, excavated step by step with a mobile crane and transported away.
"Being able to successfully complete a construction project of this size fills us at Implenia with great pride. I would like to thank everyone involved in the project for their commitment and tireless efforts. In particular, we would also like to thank BVG Projekt GmbH for their trust and excellent cooperation throughout the construction period," said Henning Schrewe, Head of Civil Germany at Implenia.
For the estimated 150,000 passengers per day, the new east-west line between the Hönow terminus and Berlin Central Station means many additional direct and transfer connections. The extension will mean around 3,500 fewer car journeys per day in central Berlin, thus contributing to sustainable mobility in the capital. "By completing the gap closure, we are creating an additional attractive public transport service in Berlin. We are delighted that we were able to achieve this goal together with Implenia as our partner," said Jörg Seegers, Managing Director of Technik BVG Projekt GmbH.
Unter den Linden subway station: One of three subway stations built by Implenia as part of the project (Image: © BVG/Oliver Lang).
Museum Island subway station, directly under the Spree Canal, with its LED starry sky (Image: © BVG/Oliver Lang).
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As a leading Swiss construction and real estate services provider, Implenia develops and builds living spaces, working environments and infrastructure for future generations in Switzerland and Germany. Implenia also plans and builds complex infrastructure projects in Austria, France, Sweden and Norway. Founded in 2006, Implenia can look back on around 150 years of construction tradition. The company brings together the expertise of highly qualified consulting, planning and execution units under one roof to form an integrated, leading multinational construction and real estate services provider. With its broad range of services and the in-depth experience of its specialists, the Group is able to realize complex large-scale projects and support buildings over their entire life cycle in a customer-oriented manner. The focus is on customers' needs and a sustainable balance between economic success and social and environmental responsibility. Implenia, headquartered in Dietlikon near Zurich, employs more than 10,000 people across Europe and generated sales of over CHF 4.4 billion in 2019. The company is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (IMPN, CH0023868554). Further information at: implenia.com
