The first tunnel, with a length of 580 meters, traverses Huong Hoa commune in Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province. The construction was carried out by the joint venture of Ilsung and Deo Ca contractors and completed after more than 16 months of continuous work despite challenging geological conditions.
According to the Management Board’s report, the contractors mobilized over 250 officers, engineers, and workers, along with 30 specialized equipment units, and organized four simultaneous construction sites, operating in three shifts and four teams as directed by the Prime Minister.
The construction site encountered multiple layers of weak geology, including fully weathered limestone transformed into soil, water-saturated clay, fragmented weathered rock, and the presence of karst caves. Additionally, underground water streams constantly cut across the tunnel face.
Ceremony for the completion of Tunnel No. 1 – Package XL01 of the Khe Net Pass Railway Improvement Project (Photo: Deo Ca Corporation)
Furthermore, as the northern tunnel portal was opened, the roof shifted due to extremely weak geological conditions, requiring the contractors to implement additional reinforcement solutions beyond the initial design. In the southern area, the geology was discovered to be extremely complex, with fully weathered structures, loose soil and rock, and continuous underground water streams along the anchors and walls, increasing the risk of tunnel face instability during construction.
Faced with these challenges, the contractors proactively adjusted their construction methods, divided the cross-sections into smaller sections, implemented a half-wall construction approach, and combined shotcrete with high-strength concrete to reinforce the tunnel face.
Deo Ca Corporation also shared that the Khe Net railway tunnel was constructed using the NATM (“Deo Ca system”) technology. NATM (New Austrian Tunneling Method) is a globally popular method for underground construction, offering flexibility in various geological conditions and enhanced safety compared to traditional tunneling technologies. This technology has been successfully applied by the Corporation in numerous large-scale tunnel projects across the country.
According to the plan, Package XL01 is expected to be completed by December. In the next phase, the Management Board will focus on expediting the completion of Tunnel No. 2 while simultaneously working on other technical components.
According to the Quang Binh provincial web portal, the Khe Net Pass Railway Improvement Project on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City railway route commenced on March 22, 2024.
The project comprises two packages, XL01 and XL02. Package XL-01 involves the construction of two railway tunnels by the joint venture of Ilsung Construction Company (South Korea) and Deo Ca Corporation. Upon completion, the project is expected to alleviate traffic congestion, optimize freight and passenger transportation efficiency, and significantly contribute to the nation’s economic development and transportation infrastructure.
Package XL02, undertaken by the joint venture of Ilsung (South Korea) and the Railway Construction Corporation (RCC), involves the construction of railway bridges, tracks, signaling systems, and other remaining works over a period of 22 months. The main construction volume of the project includes line, station, tunnel, and signaling system works.
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