Iriski Venac Tunnel, Longest in Serbia, to be Built After a German Standard

The longest tunnel in Serbia, Iriski Venac, will be dug through Fruska Gora on the section between Paragovo and the bypass route around Ruma. The facility will be nearly twice as long as the currently longest tunnel, Manajle, of 1,804 meters, located on the south leg of Corridor 10 in the Grdelica Gorge.

The Chinese are to build the new route on which this structure will be located, and the authorized engineering designer of the structural part of the tunnel is Slobodan Savic.

Around 20% of the length of the tunnel feature extreme geological conditions and loose soil, making the project fairly complex.

– The tunnel will be 3,480 meters long and have two tubes. The two lanes will be eight meters wide in total. Although its length makes it different from the structures built so far, the boring and the protection technologies will be the same as the tunnels on corridors. Safety alcoves are planned at each 150 meters, whereas pedestrian passages, for cases of fires, accidents and other incidents, are planned at each 290 meters. Two connective tunnels are planned as well, through which the trucks will be able to pass in case they malfunction. Everything is designed in line with the German safety standard RAPT – Savic explains.

Savic notes that the preliminary design was completed at the Road Institute in 2016. It was planned at the time for the driving lane to be built from concrete, but the idea was abandoned.

– I believe that the tunnel will be paved with asphalt, because it has been proven that driving on it is more comfortable, and it is also cheaper and easier for maintenance – Savic says. – A control center will also be built, from which cameras will overlook the traffic in this tunnel and another one, Sirine, which will be around 350 meters long, and the cameras will also monitor the pollution.

Institut za puteve a.d. Beograd

longest tunnel

Iriški venac

Manajle

Paragova

Corridor 10

Grdelica Gorge

south leg of Corridor 10

German standard RAPT

RAPT

Širine

Slobodan Savić

Fruška gora