"Bärlinde" tunnel boring machine reaches Brandenburg Gate station

Implenia has been working since 2011 on the new U5 underground railway line for the Berlin Transport Authority (BVG). The project includes extending the existing U5 line from Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate and linking it up with line U55, which has already been completed.

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The 74 meter long, 700 tonne tunnel boring machine "Bärlinde" drilled under the Spree River, on to the Humboldtforum and Spree Canal, below Unter den Linden and onwards to the U-Bahn station at the Brandenburg Gate — image credits (ID:243252)

"Bärlinde" has reached its goal (left to right): Jörg Seegers, Managing Director of the project implementation company, Dr. Sigrid Evelyn Nikutta, Chairwoman of the BVG Management Board and Operations, Stefan Roth, Managing Director of Implenia Germany & Austria, Ute Bonde, Managing Director of the project implementation company, Implenia project managers Peter Hoppe and Michael Greiner, Klaus Schlüter, Implenia's driver of "Bärlinde" — image credits (ID:243253)

The "New U5" project includes extending the existing U5 underground railway line from Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate and linking it up with line U55, which has already been completed. This will turn the U5 and U55 into a single line: the new U5, which will then run all the way from Hönow to the main railway station — image credits (ID:243254)

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Implenia is responsible for constructing "Lot 1", i.e. drilling the two tunnels, building the shell of the Museuminsel and Unter den Linden underground stations, and building the track switching system and start shaft. In April 2015, the "Bärlinde" tunnel boring machine made her second journey beneath the streets of Berlin. Now, half a year later, the 74 meter long, 700 tonne colossus has done its duty and drilled out the second tunnel between the Alexanderplatz and Brandenburger Tor stations.

1076 tubbing rings installed

"Bärlinde" has created 1620 metres of tunnel and installed 1076 tubbing rings.
On 14 October 2015, the BVG, the U5 project implementation company and Implenia jointly announced the successful completion of the drilling phase. For Implenia, the U5 is one of the most important ongoing infrastructure projects in the European market.

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