Tunnel breakthrough of the Nuremberg U3 line

At last, we were able to properly celebrate the long-awaited tunnel breakthrough of the new U3 subway section in Nuremberg between Kleinreuth and Gebersdorf. At the tunnel festival on March 23, 2022, in spring-like weather (sunshine, 20 °C), all project participants and miners received—according to mining tradition—the blessing of the patron saint Saint Barbara and the thanks of the tunnel sponsor Anke König (wife of Mayor Marcus König). Regional political representatives were also well represented and pleased to mark this significant milestone in an infrastructure project of great importance to the city of Nuremberg.

On behalf of the City of Nuremberg, the joint venture Hochtief Infrastructure GmbH / Max Bögl Stiftung & Co. KG is expanding the U3 subway network with construction section BA2.2 Southwest over a distance of approximately 2 km, using both cut-and-cover and mined tunneling methods. A particular highlight: the tunnel route passes less than 10 meters beneath the Main-Danube Canal—arguably the most challenging phase of the project from both an engineering and mining perspective.

In the end, all challenges were successfully overcome.

At Ginger HPC, we look back on three demanding yet successful years filled with exciting new challenges, strong commitment, and valuable experience.

Our services covered Ginger HPC’s core areas: contaminated site investigation and assessment, waste sampling and disposal consulting, monitoring of dewatering systems, geotechnical construction supervision in excavation pits, installation of groundwater monitoring wells, subsoil investigations, and much more.

You’re already familiar with all of this—almost routine. Less common, though not entirely new, were additional services such as engineering geological support during mined tunneling (so-called “face mapping”), supervision and planning of two 70 m horizontal exploratory drillings (beneath the Main-Danube Canal), including geophysical borehole logging, installation of extensometers for settlement monitoring, and comprehensive unexploded ordnance (UXO) monitoring on site (deep probing, UXO supervision, ground-penetrating radar).