Project

Highway enclosure to boost quality of life in Schwamendingen

The Schwamendingen district in the City of Zurich has long been exposed to high levels of noise pollution caused by a segment of federal roadway between Schöneich and Aubrugg. In response to the diminished quality of life for the district’s residents, a plan is now being executed to enclose the segment of roadway in question. EBP has played a leading role in supporting the project for around 20 years.

First opened in 1970, the N01/40 segment of the federal roadway between Schöneich and Aubrugg bisects a residential area in Zurich’s Schwamendingen district, exposing it to the emissions of more than 110,000 vehicles a day. Moreover, around 5,000 area residents are also exposed to excessive levels of noise and particulate pollution. To protect the residents, the segment of the federal roadway is now being enclosed in a solid structure 940 meters long, 30 meters wide and 7 meters high. The structure’s design reflects the various concerns of the City and Canton of Zurich.

A public park providing access across and down the length of the enclosure for bicyclists and pedestrians is to be built on its roof. Ramps, stairs and lifts on both sides of the park will reconnect the neighborhood, which the highway had split in two. The adjacent residential areas will therefore benefit from new development potential.

The existing Schöneich Tunnel bordering the roadway, as well as various retaining walls directly adjacent to the nearby University of Zurich’s veterinary hospital will also be thoroughly renovated according to the latest technical standards.


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As a novelty in the area of federal roadway construction, the project is being financed jointly by the Swiss government and both the Canton and the City of Zurich.

This very complex and multifaceted project involves a number of special planning and implementation challenges. Altogether, the project is expected to last from 2017 to 2024 and is to be executed without closing down traffic on the roadway or interfering with the nearby city transportation network.

EBP has been active in the project’s extensive planning process, which began in 1998. This work has included the provision of developer support since 2006, both under the direction of the canton of Zurich and, since 2010, under the direction of the Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). As an assistant to the developer, EBP has assumed responsibility for many tasks, including: schedule and cost planning; schedule, cost and performance controlling; contracting; quality management; project administration; services procurement; legal consulting and land-purchasing transactions.

Picture Credits: agps.architecture, Rotzler Krebs Partner / Visualisation: Raumgleiter GmbH, Zürich

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