A joint venture between the Shapir Group and the Italian Impresa-Pizzarotti construction and civil engineering firm
for the construction of the high-speed railway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from Shaar Hagai to Mevasaret Zion.
One of the largest and most complex projects included boring and constructing two dual tunnels that were connected by a bridge spanning the Erezim Valley. One of the tunnels, 11 km long, is considered the longest in Israel. A Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), one of the most advanced and efficient methods for tunneling, was used for boring the tunnels’ route. The tunnel has a 10-meter diameter, and its retaining walls were assembled from unique concrete segments. In addition, Shapir cut two more tunnels, 900 meters long, utilizing regular tunneling methods. Two additional tunnels, each of which is 300 meters long, were tunneled in the Cut & Cover method.
Furthermore, two railway bridges 144 meters long were constructed in the balanced cantilever method in an advanced slip form above Nahal Yitla. The project also included portals, electric, control, water, and firefighting infrastructures.
Client: Israel Railways
Period of Construction: 2010 – 2015
Financial Scope: Approximately NIS 1.6 billion
