Coatzacoalcos immersed tunnel

Project description

Coatzacoalcos is a port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the western bank of the Coatzacoalcos River. The city has a population of about 250.000, making it the third-largest city in the state of Veracruz. The largest community in the municipality, aside from Coatzacoalcos, is the town of Allende, with a population of about 25.000. The town of Allende is situated on the east bank of Coatzacoalcos River.
The city's industry is dominated by the petrochemical sector. The main petrochemical complexes are however located on the east bank of Coatzacoalcos River and can only be reached via an old and heavily congested bridge south of Coatzacoalcos.

To improve mobility, the State Government of Veracruz has entered into a Construction, Operation, Maintenance and Exploitation Contract for an immersed Tunnel under the Rio Coatzacoalcos. The tunnel accommodates 2 tubes, each suitable for 2 traffic lanes separated by an escape tube.

The immersed tunnel will be constructed out of 5 tunnel elements of 138 m each, resulting in a total length for the immersed section of 690 m. At both ends of the immersed tunnel, access ramps will be made by the cut & cover method using diaphragm walls. The water depth of the Coatzacoalcos River varies between 5 and 12 m. The maximum depth of the base of the tunnel will be about 30 m below water level.

Scope of work

TEC provided the following design services for the Spanish-Mexican construction consortium CTC, headed by FCC from Spain:

• Quick Scan
• Tender Design for the complete link (immersed tunnel and approaches).
• Detailed Design for the immersed tunnel including all related temporary structures/works.