Strengthened lockdown endures for another week from Pforzheim to Birkenfeld.
West Tangent Construction Delayed Due to Complex Drainage Challenges
The construction work on the West Tangent, a major road project between Pforzheim and Birkenfeld, has encountered delays due to complex height relationships in the drainage network. These complexities are primarily caused by the need to manage surface water flow across varying terrain elevations and the integration of subsurface drainage elements like pipes, catch basins, and ditches installed at precise grades to ensure effective water movement away from critical infrastructure.
The lack of longitudinal gradient on the B 294, a nearby road, is the main cause of these complex height relationships. This lack of gradient increases the time requirement for laying new drainage pipes. To address these challenges, the construction team has adopted several strategies.
Addressing the Complexities
The construction team is using surveying with tight tolerances for grade elevations to control heights precisely during construction. They are also installing engineered drainage features such as flat-bottom ditches, drainage dips, and properly located catch basins set at elevations to ensure gravity drainage away from the site’s infrastructure.
Subsurface drainage is being installed with pipe bedding and backfilling using compacted coarse ballast to maintain grade and prevent settling or pipe misalignment. Regular monitoring and adjustment of drainage features during construction and after heavy rainfall events are also being carried out to confirm drainage performance and mitigate issues early.
Expected Completion Dates
While the exact completion date for the West Tangent drainage network project is not specified in the available documents, recent project documents suggest that the project is in active construction phases or near-term completion targets this year or early next.
For the B 294 section between Neuenbürg and Birkenfeld, the tree-felling work was completed as planned on September 1, 2023, and the full closure on this section has been lifted. However, the full closure of the B 294 with the existing detour will likely remain in effect until Friday, September 15, 2023, due to ongoing construction work.
Remaining work such as installing signage will be carried out until the final completion of the new junction B 463/B 294. For safety reasons, some daily construction sites may still be necessary until the end of the year to maintain the lateral safety distance from traffic.
Acknowledged Delays and Safety Measures
The government presidency has acknowledged the delay in construction work on the West Tangent and the need for a traffic light system outside of rush hours to keep both directions open during daily construction sites. Adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain events, have also contributed to the delays. The construction team is taking all necessary safety measures to ensure the work is carried out efficiently and safely.
In summary, the West Tangent construction work is currently delayed due to complex height relationships in the drainage network, which are caused by terrain challenges and precise hydraulic requirements. The construction team is addressing these challenges by adopting detailed engineering and surveying practices combined with specific construction techniques for ditches and subsurface drainage installation. Completion is targeted within the 2025 timeframe based on recent project documents.
- The complexities in the drainage network of the West Tangent project, which include challenges from the environmental-science aspects of managing surface and subsurface water flow, have expanded the scope of general-news related to the road construction.
- Despite the weather-related delays, the construction team is making progress in addressing the drainage challenges using scientific methods, such as surveying and engineered drainage features, to ensure the project's successful completion within the 2025 timeframe, as mentioned in recent general-news reports.
