17 km through the Alps
SWITZERLAND · INFRASTRUCTURE · TUNNELLING

17 km through the Alps

With the RH6X rotary head from the X-Series, EURODRILL is part of one of Europe’s most significant tunnelling projects: the second tube of the Gotthard Road Tunnel.

16.9 km
TUNNEL
LENGTH
12.3 m
TBM
DIAMETER
RH6X
DRILLING
HEAD
PROJECT OVERVIEW
PROJECT
Second tube of the Gotthard Road Tunnel
LOCATION
South Portal Airolo, Switzerland
APPLICATION
Exploratory drilling in tunnelling
EURODRILL PRODUCT
RH6X
TUNNEL LENGTH
approx. 16.9 km
TBM DIAMETER
approx. 12.3 m
PLANNED COMMISSIONING
2030
THE TASK

Exploratory drilling in the Gotthard massif.

At the south portal in Airolo, the second tube of the Gotthard Road Tunnel is currently under construction – a structure that will secure the north–south connection through the Alps for the long term.

Spanning nearly 17 km through complex geology under the strictest safety, precision, and reliability standards, this ranks among Switzerland’s most demanding infrastructure projects.

A EURODRILL RH6X rotary head is being used on a tunnel boring machine. The technology supports exploratory drilling in the Gotthard massif and demonstrates what matters at EURODRILL: compact power, technical flexibility and solutions that perform reliably on site.

IN USE

Compact power on the tunnel boring machine.

180kg
The RH6X weighs 180 kg - compact enough for installation on the TBM
762rpm
rotational speed for rapid exploratory drilling
2030
The second tunnel is scheduled to open in 2030
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE SITE
PRODUCT USED

EURODRILL RH6X

Compact rotary head from the X Series - lightweight yet capable of high rotational speeds, designed for installation on a tunnel boring machine.

  • Weight: 180 kg
  • Traction force: 100 kN
  • Torque: up to 6.6 kNm
  • Speed: up to 762 rpm