Austrian contractor STRABAG is to work on a major contract for a project on the A8 highway in the Enz Valley in Southern Germany. The firm will work on the project along with Ed Züblin and Züblin Spezialtiefbau.
The project involves widening work for a 4.8km stretch of the A8 Autobahn close to Pforzheim. The work includes building six bridges and installing a 380m section of noise protection and construction will commence in September. The project is one of several road upgrades STRABAG is working on in Europe at present.
The contract is for a complex project on the main stretch of road connecting Karlsruhe and Stuttgart and is worth more than €100 million. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 after about five years of work. The route provides an important transport connection for Southern Germany, linking to the border with France, and is crucial for transport in the region.
The Enz Valley crossing is one of two remaining sections of the A8 highway in Baden-Württemberg that remains to be widened from four to six lanes. In addition to the 4.8km expansion, the works also include the widening of the B10 to four lanes at the Pforzheim-Ost interchange, the upgrade of that interchange with improved on- and off-ramps, the replacement of several grade-separated crossings, the replacement of the bridge over the river Enz, the construction of a 380m long noise protection and additional noise protection walls, the sealing of the new roadway, and the collection and purification of all surface water in two stormwater reservoirs. The project also includes the extension and modernisation of the Pforzheim-Süd rest area with new toilet facilities and additional parking spaces.
