The Valík Tunnel

The Roads and Motorways Directorate of the CR

Division Prague

Na Pankráci 56

Praha 4

Metrostav a.s.

Koželužská 5/2246

Praha 8

Division 5

Na Zatlance 1350/13

Praha 5

 

Pragoprojekt a.s.

K Ryšánce 1668/16

Praha 4

 

The last section of the D5 motorway from Prague to Rozvadov on the state border of the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany was the motorway bypass of the city of Plzeň. The Valík tunnel was a key element of this section. The tunnel was excavated by Metrostav a.s., from the western (Rozvadov) portal.

The Valík motorway tunnel is an about 380m long twin-tube structure, with the tubes 11.5m wide. The tubes run side by side, without a rock pillar between them, which means significant savings in the total plan area of permanent works; on the other hand, this system brought about technical problems during the tunnel excavation. The mined stretches of the tunnel tubes are 330m long; the excavated cross sectional areas are 154.25m². The mined sections are 20m and 30m long at the Prague portal and Rozvadov portal respectively. The maximum longitudinal gradient of the tubes is 4%.
Geotechnical conditions were unfavourable. The NATM excavation passed through weathered to heavily weathered, tectonically fractured Proterozoic shales. A central tunnel was the first to be driven to be used for the construction of a cast-in-situ pillar, serving as abutment for the primary lining during the excavation of the two tunnel tubes. .

The Valík tunnel was inaugurated on 5^th October 2006 in the presence of Ing. M. Topolánek, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. The next day, a historic event of interconnecting the Czech and German motorway networks took place by the opening of the entire 3.5km long motorway stretch containing the Valík tunnel. Today, the 151km long stretch of the D5 motorway connects Prague with the German border at Rozvadov. The Valík tunnel is the first mined motorway tunnel in the Czech Republic which entered operational service. It complies with European safety standards and satisfies demanding environmental requirements.