SIMEM batching plants for the second tube of Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland

9 April 2026

SIMEM batching plants for the second tube of Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland

SIMEM has supplied and installed a concrete batching plant in Switzerland, specifically in Göschenen on the border between Canton Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland. Here stands the famous Gotthard Tunnel, one of the main arteries of the transport system not only in Switzerland but in Europe: the Gotthard pass is in fact part of the European TEN-T Rhine–Alpine corridor project.
A large portion of road and rail traffic moving between northern and southern Europe passes through here: it is estimated that on average 17 thousand vehicles per day cross this important tunnel and travel times have doubled over the last ten years.
The history of the first tunnel dates back to the 1950s–60s, when excavation works began, completed in 1980, the year of its inauguration.
Now, the Swiss infrastructure authority (ASTRA) has commissioned an important project for Hellenic logistics: the doubling of the Gotthard Tunnel. A second tube will be built, excavated into the mountain rock: in this way traffic will be better managed and distributed. Moreover, once this new work is completed, the first tunnel will be closed and undergo maintenance.

The new tunnel will be 17 km long, thus becoming the longest tunnel in Europe.
The joint venture entrusted with the construction of the project is made up of the Swiss companies Implenia and the Frutiger Group.

Simem’s role in the doubling of the Gotthard tunnel

SIMEM has been appointed by Kibag, the company responsible for concrete supply, to design, manufacture and install inside the tunnel the concrete batching plant that will supply concrete for the production of the tunnel segments.
SIMEM was selected from a range of other manufacturers thanks to several factors that determined its success.

The plant features the following technical characteristics:

pneumatic transport of cement arriving outside the tunnel, transported by rail
300-meter-long conveyor belt
Two MSO twin-shaft mixers with a production capacity of 3.33 cubic meters, each fed by two skips
an aggregate storage unit of 2,400 cubic meters

simem - batching plants - san gothard - switzerland

A high-altitude challenge: climate, logistics and safety

The plant was installed in a mountain cavern, excavated in the past for military purposes, and connected to the production area through tunnels.
The limited space, both in height and width, has significantly influenced the design of the project: Simem’s technical office worked in close contact with the client Kibag to comply with the required performance standards as well as safety levels and maintenance capacity.

The construction site is located at a latitude of over 1,000 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Swiss Alps: weather conditions and sub-zero temperatures have had a significant impact on the plant layout.
Hence the need to store large quantities of aggregate material to avoid logistical problems during prolonged Swiss snowfalls.
In addition, SIMEM designed a specific system that allows the plant to be heated through electrically powered blowers: in this way both water and aggregates are prevented from freezing and energy resources are optimized.

From the installation point of view, challenges were also numerous: the imposing structure was positioned within a confined space, with limited maneuvering room and a very small margin for error, with storage possibilities for components reduced to a minimum.
Once again, SIMEM was able to find the ideal solution by leveraging 4D technology: a three-dimensional model that also includes the time component. In this way it was possible to study the best strategy to plan the installation sequence on site, moving each part inside the tunnel, consequently adapting shipping logistics and, in turn, factory production.

Project completion is scheduled for 2030, by which time the plant will have produced more than 500 thousand cubic meters of concrete thanks to the batching plants designed and manufactured at the site in Minerbe, Verona.

Plant inauguration: strategic partnership between Simem and the swiss client Kibag

On March 25–26, a small SIMEM delegation visited the tunnel construction sites together with the Kibag team: SIMEM President Federico Furlani symbolically handed over the keys of the mega-plant to CEO Christop Dujits, who expressed his satisfaction with the project and the collaboration between the two companies.
A moment of sharing that further strengthened the relationship of mutual respect between the two companies. SIMEM once again confirms itself not as a simple supplier of products and services but as a strategic and reliable partner for tailor-made solutions in the world of construction.

Concrete News