SERVICING OF THE BORING MACHINE DEPLOYS TO GELLÉRT SQUARE, BUT BUILDING WORKS OF THE EXIT COMMENCE TOO

For the building works of the metro 4 tunnel section under the Danube and at the Pest side, the equipment servicing the TBM will move from Etele Square to Szent Gellért Square, where building of the station and the excavator shaft will continue as well, and building of the exit will commence too. The works will require closure of the Műegyetem quay way from 25th May 2009 to expectedly September 2010. However, the lower quay way will be useable all along during the period of closure.
Works of the Szent Gellért Square station built by BAMCO consortium and utility replacements were completed with the closure of the Műegyetem quay way. Following the completion of the top floor slab in 2007 the upper quay way with 2x1 lanes was handed over to the traffic, but in the summer of 2008 during the eight weeks closure then the building of the excavator shaft progressed significantly. Building works to the excavator shaft and exit of the station are carried out by SWIETELSKY Magyarország Kft.. From the surface a wide stairway will lead to the entrance hall of the underpass, and from there the station will be accessible by an excavator. The pedestrian area at the surface will receive decorative paving. Accessibility for handicapped passengers will be provided by the elevators planned next to the fence of the University of Technology. From here the station’s gallery level may be accessed on an ancillary stairway as well, from where the underground garage planned under the Műegyetem quay way will be accessible through a pedestrian passage.

Tunnel building works at the Buda side are completed, and for the building of the Pest side - according to the original plans - the TBM servicing system at Etele Square will be moved to Szent Gellért Square by BAMCO consortium. The south TBM set off on the way under the Danube on 18th may. Servicing to one part of the tunnels under the river has to be provided by the consortium still from Etele Square, but the switch will be continuous. In a few weeks the delivery of tunnel wall elements, will take place from here, and respectively the removal of excavated muck until TBMs reach the TBM disassembling chamber to be provided at the Baross Square station. In case of a maximum rate of advance by the TBMs the quantity of excavated muck will be in the order of 1,200 m3 per day, for transportation of which and respectively for the delivery of tubbings - similarly to Etele Square – a number of 120 trucks are needed on daily basis. During continuous, 24 hours working, which is typical for the TBMs, an average number of 5 trucks per hour will travel on the Műegyetem quay way towards Lágymányosi Bridge, and then to the direction of the official dumping site, which will likely not influence significantly the life in the district.

With the closure simultaneously with the servicing to the TBMs the slope shaft and exit of the station will be built parallel to one-another and the work of BAMCO consortium will not be delayed any further either. Similarly with the closure last summer, primarily Budafoki road and Bartók Béla road are recommended as bypass routes, and the short section of Budafoki road closed at Szent Gellért Square will be available for use again. The two quay ways will not be closed together this year. From south the lower quay way of Buda can be used up to Margit Bridge until the middle of June, and only up to the Chain Bridge from the middle of June, but from the Chain Bridge even at this time the car traffic can travel to north on the upper quay way. Following the closure at Műegyetem quay way from May 2009 to September 2010 no additional closures are likely to be needed due to metro construction works.

Budapest, 21st May 2009

DBR Metro Project Directorate