AWV installs 5,600-ton tunnel in Tongeren-Borgloon

Tongeren-Borgloon (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Roads and Traffic Agency (AWV) in Tongeren-Borgloon installed a 5,600-ton tunnel under the railway. Spokesperson Zoë Debbaut said it used 2 million litres of concrete and finished within 24 hours.

As VRT News reported, in Tongeren-Borgloon, in the province of Limburg, Belgium, the Roads and Traffic Agency (AWV) has installed a 5,600-ton tunnel under the railway line. Before the installation, around 10,000 cubic meters of soil were removed from the hill, and the railway tracks were taken apart. Special tracks were placed in the ground, allowing the large structure to be pushed slowly and carefully into position. 

“We poured 2 million litres of concrete in one go to install this gem,”

says Zoe Debbaut, spokesperson for AWV in Limburg.

How did AWV slide a 5,600-ton tunnel under the railway in Tongeren-Borgloon?

Once the tunnel was set on the guiding tracks, hydraulic pumps pressed against the sides of a watertight tank to keep it stable. Cranes then added heavy concrete blocks step by step. In only 24 hours, the 33-meter-long tunnel reached its final place beneath the railway. 

At the front of the tunnel, the sliding structure bends slightly upward, shaped like the front of a ski.

“Otherwise, the structure, which weighs as much as 1,400 Asian elephants, would simply slide into the soft sand,”

says Debbaut.

Many residents have gathered at the end of Beemdstraat to watch the work as it happens. The Roads and Traffic Agency (AWV) has arranged safe viewing areas so visitors can follow the progress without entering the work zone.

According to officials, the nearby youth group Chiro Aterstoase has been affected by the project, as its playground is located right next to the site and cannot be used during the construction period. The group has turned the situation to its advantage by selling hot dogs to raise money for their camp. Train traffic through the area has been stopped until Sunday night, November 16, 2025. 

According to the Roads and Traffic Agency, the first phase of the project will finish by the end of this year. The agency is now preparing for the next stage, which will begin in the spring and focus on building the South-East Bypass. Progress on the project can be followed on the official AWV website.

The Tongeren-Borgloon tunnel project is part of the South-East Bypass, which aims to have safer and smoother traffic between the 2 towns. The idea for the bypass arose in 2017 when the Roads and Traffic Agency (AWV) started to search for measures to reduce congestion. 

At the end of 2022, detailed designs and environmental assessments were made. Preparation work started in 2024, with the main part of the work starting in November 2025, following the preparation where approximately 10,000 cubic meters of soil were removed and railway tracks removed over the summer of 2025.