ABSTRACT
The historic city of Salzburg has long suffered from traffic congestion which constrains mobility on numerous occasions throughout the year. Trolley-busses have provided the main means of urban transport within the city in combination with motorized individual traffic which in turn contributes to congestion as opposed to alleviating it. Currently the existing rail transport routes terminate at the main train station or run along the peripheries of the city. It is however recognized that the city needs a comfortable, reliable and efficient railway to provide a cost effective connection within the greater Salzburg area which would provide integrated links to the existing public transport network and future development opportunities.
The proposed S-LINK project would extend the existing ca. 40 km local railway, which currently terminates at the main railway station, underground through the city centre before emerging to run above ground to serve the southern areas of the city. The physical and planning restrictions imposed by the city, the mountainous topography, the river Salzach and the historic old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offer significant and unique challenges.
Noting the historic, cultural and architectural significance of Salzburg naturally the project is subject to a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) which would involve a fully concentrated review and approval procedure in accordance with the EIA Act which would include railway law and material rights with water law, nature conservation and monument protection. To appropriately assess impacts and obtain permits, the project has been divided into several sections. The alignment of the first section runs from Salzburg’s main train station to Mirabellplatz (Mirabell Square) which forms an 843 m long section which would include 628 m of double-track running-tunnel and 215 m long Mirabell Station. The ground conditions along the alignment generally comprise a top layer of fill composed of gravel several meters thick, overlaying fine-sand-dominated and silt-dominated still-water sediments with varying clay and high water content, known locally as “Salzburger Seeton”.
The article discusses the challenges of planning such a project in the densely built-up inner-city area with the prevailing ground conditions as well as the technical scope of environmental investigations, in particular with regard to the protection and consideration of residents needs’ and sensitivities to noise, vibration, ground water and air quality protection.
