Ferrovia Circumetnea, an Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport agency, has awarded a section of the Catania Metro (Sicily) to SIS, a consortium comprising Fininc (51%) and Sacyr (49%), for €107.5 million.
The contract involves the development of the Monte Po - Misterbianco section, including two underground stations in Misterbianco: one located in the city center and the other in the Corso Marx shopping district.
Underground works for this project span 2.2 km and will use a variable density TBM. The end of this section is connected to another SIS contract: the Misterbianco - Paterno section.
The TBM chosen to excavate the two sections provides additional safety measures, as it is able to regulate the density and pressure of the slurry by applying bentonite to control the stability of the tunnel face in complex soils during gallery excavations.
This project is key to completing the Catania metro project and connecting the northeast suburban areas with the downtown area, improving city and intercity mobility in Catania.
Misterbianco-Paterno section
SIS already delivers the design and build contract of the 10.6 km running between Misterbianco and Paterno stations, with an investment close to €532 million.
This contract includes the potential execution of an additional 900-meter section from the Ardizzone tunnel to Paterno station, including a train depot. With this additional contract, the project would span 11.5 km, and require an approximate investment of €656 million.
The route is divided into four underground sections and four outdoor sections. It includes five stations (Giaconia, Belpasso, Valcorrente, Gullotta and Paterno), and two depots, one in Belpasso and the other in Ardizzone, in the middle and at the end of the route.
