Improved access with new expressway
The E45 European route between Gothenburg and Trollhättan is a key stretch of highway for western Swedish freight and commuter traffic. However, the stretch is full of curves and prone to accidents and has long been beleaguered by limited access. The railway track, which runs parallel to the E45, is also in major need of expansion.
Accordingly, a four-lane highway and a double-track railway are currently being built. A company entitled BanaVäg i Väst, which is part of the Swedish Transport Administration, is behind the project.
Skanska’s assignment comprises foundation reinforcement and earthworks for a new double-track railway and the expansion of the E45 into a highway. Our work started in August 2009 and is expected to be completed in December 2012.
The project also includes the conversion of the Jordfall Bridge and a new two-level traffic junction featuring four connecting ramps. A local road is being built along the entire stretch and a noise barrier is being mounted between dwellings and the highway.
There are many challenges. We have invested substantial energy in building and reinforcing foundations to ensure that the road and railway will not be subject to subsidence and we will thus minimize the risks for landslides. The work is being conducted in a densely populated area, close to residential neighborhoods and industrial operations. In some sections of the stretch, road and rail work is being conducted in a very narrow corridor.
Another key challenge is maintaining normal rail and road traffic flows during the entire project period.
