No alternative to No-Dig: Triple river crossing for fibre optic network expansion in the heart of Szczecin
Szczecin is characterised by water and green spaces as well as numerous significant historical and contemporary buildings. The densely populated polish Hanseatic city is divided into several parts by several branches of the Oder River, some of which are located on river islands. These were the conditions when, in 2024, districts on the right bank of the Oder were to be connected to the fibre optic network via a new backbone cable. The almost alternative-free solution was to install the cable protection pipes under the river using trenchless technology. A project requiring a reliable drilling rig and an experienced bore crew.
As part of the project, three river branches were crossed: the West Oder over a length of 231 metres, the Parnicki Canal over 210 metres and the Regalica River over 426 metres. All work took place in densely built-up residential areas, in the immediate vicinity of port infrastructure, near municipal roads and in riverside areas. The pilot bores, at depths of up to 19 metres, had to be located mainly from boats, afterwards the cable protection pipes were pulled in. All this was done in a remarkable short time of only two weeks each, without disrupting city life or damaging infrastructure. Only shipping traffic had to be temporarily interrupted for the third culvert.
KEY FACTS
- Szczecin / Poland, 2024
- Project: Crossing under three river branches for fibre optic network expansion
- Application: Fibre optic network construction
- Method: Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
- In use: GRUNDODRILL 28Nplus
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