ABSTRACT
The A2 motorway through the city of Maastricht in The Netherlands proved problematic for several reasons. The international traffic was disturbed by a daily traffic congestion due to six traffic lights. This had a negative impact on the business climate in the city. The A2 also undermined the quality of life, health and safety of its residents. Tunneling proved the best option. The tender was awarded in 2009 to Avenue2, a joint venture of Strukton and Ballast Nedam. They designed and built a double‐decker tunnel, 2,3 km long with 4 × 2 lanes. On top, a a pedestrian and cycling route was realized known as the ‘Groene Loper’ (Green Carpet). The A2 tunnel was opened on 16 December 2016, the exact date specified in the contract.
Challenging in the project was the ground condition with fractured Limestone, layers of Flint and high groundwater table. This lead to the implementation of the Observational Method. The limited working space proved another test as both existing apartment blocks and the A2 motorway were close to the building pit. A different challenge was the economic crisis, the key partners suffered. It even lead to bankruptcy of the tunnel installation company.
