ZSR Launches Drilling of Key Spani Haj Tunnel in Presov Region

Vydrnik, 22 July (TASR) - State-run rail-infrastructure operator ZSR has launched the drilling of a key structure in the modernisation of the Poprad-Kosice railway line, the Spani Haj tunnel, near the village of Vydrnik in Presov region. A statue of St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners and tunnel builders, was blessed on Tuesday at the eastern entrance to the tunnel in the presence of Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee). On this occasion, the minister said that the tunnel will basically connect the east and west of the country, and he believes that the contractor will be able to keep to the schedule of works and that the first trains will pass through this section at the end of 2027. Jozef Raz added that the 711-metre tunnel is a technically demanding and significant project that will contribute towards increasing the line speed up to 160 kilometres per hour. At the same time, it will increase the safety and flow of rail transport. "It's the only railway tunnel that we currently have under construction. I very much hope for the contractors that we won't have extra work and that the deadlines won't be prolonged," he pointed out. The construction work is being carried out under close geotechnical and geological monitoring. ZSR general director Ivan Bednarik added that the total cost of constructing the tunnel will amount to approximately €33 million and that the time-frame for completing the work is 18 months. "Spani Haj is a single-bore double-track railway tunnel, which will be drilled out using a new Austrian tunneling method. Of the total length, the drilled section will stretch 692 metres, while 39 metres will be dug out in an open excavation," said the contractor's representative Vladimir Kotrik. The tunnel forms part of an extensive modernisation of the Poprad-Tatry-Vydrnik section with a length of 14 kilometres. The contractor for the construction work is an association called Zdruzenie pod Dubinou, and the total contract value amounts to €368.9 million, ex-VAT. The financing is being provided from European Union funds (Slovakia Programme) and the state budget. am/df