Major Contract Awarded for the Complete Renovation of the Old Karawanken Tunnel
The construction of the second tunnel tube through the Karawanken massif on the A 11 Karawanken motorway, which connects Austria and Slovenia, is nearing completion. The contract for the complete renovation of the old tunnel tube has now also been awarded and will start immediately after the new tunnel is opened to traffic at the end of March 2026.
The bidding consortium consisting of Östu-Stettin, Vogl.Plus, and Habau was awarded the contract for the multi-million euro project as the best bidder. The project includes the renovation of the concrete inner shell, roadway, tunnel coating, intermediate ceiling, extinguishing water pipes, and the entire north portal; the portal will also be redesigned architecturally. In addition, the project includes the renovation of the 600 m long open-air access route with bridges, roadway, anchor walls, and rockfall protection.
Completion Planned for Spring 2029
The contract was awarded by ASFINAG for the Austrian section of the tunnel (approx. 4.5 km), while the Slovenian section was put out to tender by the Slovenian operator DARS. The entire safety equipment for the tunnel has already been jointly awarded. The general renovation is scheduled for completion in spring 2029. Until then, the newly constructed tunnel tube will be operated in two-way traffic. ASFINAG is investing just under 125 million euros in the general renovation of the tunnel, which originally opened in 1991.
