Yesterday, the canton Bern published a surprising about-turn in the project "High water release tunnel" in Thun: One month before the planned ground-breaking ceremony (on June, 2nd), the Civil Engineering Office disclosed that the start of construction will be postponed by half a year. Reason: The offers submitted by the four builing syndicates are exceeding the cost estimate significantly.

Project manager Ernst Spycher did not intend to express himself more precisely. Because: the submission will be conducted once again.

For tactical reasons Spycher makes no mention of any figures. Under the previously scheduled budgegt limit of 35 million francs, cost overrun will probably be in a higher one-digit or even a two-digit million range.

The canton gives different reasons for the significant difference between cost estimation and offers. On the one hand, the limited competetion and the high workload of tunnel construction companies as well as the narrow time limitation (construction time of 18 months) which was politically determined had let to it. On the other hand, there is since short time only one company in Europe, the Geman Herrenknecht AG, offering the specific kind of tunnel boring machine that is required in Thun: for works in groundwater areas the mixshield-technology is required, and a small tunnel cross section dimension is in demand.

This monopoly sitiation has a negative effect on costs. Within the next two months, the canton will customize the submission data. The most important modifications: the guidelines, e. g. for the excavation pit, will be less strict and detailed. The company will be granted half a year more time to accomplish the tunnel. The competitors will have two months to submit new offers. After further two months of verification the canton will assign the works starting in December.

The tunnel shall be finished by the end of 2008 and put into operation in spring 2009. The backlog is one flood season compared to the previously communicated time schedule. The amount of costs in the long run is unclear. According to chief engineer Ernst Spycher, the new submission with a five-digit amount is much less expensive than the amount that can be thereby saved.

The four offering consortia would not have any agreements among each other. "We examined that and did not detect any tendencies in this regard." Until completion of the tunnel the canton promises additional arrangements: so it will be examined if the lake could be lowered for one year more considerably than provided in the already optimized adjustment regulation. Single arrangements such as security services, more sandbags or better information, had been made after the recent high water and will now be advanced intensively.

Beat Straubhaar, member of the minicipal council of Thun and construction director, issued a split statement: "On the one hand, we have trouble with the delay and are disappointed that people have to wait longer." On the other hand, he would understand. "Not only the city of Thun but also canton and Federation have to deal economically with their funds." And he continued: "As the case may be, the Federation should also raise its budget limit so that not only canton and city have to bear the additional costs." Intensive discussions on this are in progress.

Source: Bieler Tagblatt