STUVA Prize 2011

On the occasion of the STUVA Conference the Research Association for Underground Transportation Facilities Inc. – STUVA – awards the STUVA Prize on a 2-yearly basis for outstanding achievements and innovations in the field of underground construction in order to promote the concept of the use of underground space among experts and the general public.

In 2011 the STUVA Prize went to the “Citybanan” project in Stockholm. The Citybanan represents a 6 km long twin-track S-Bahn tunnel in the centre of Stockholm establishing a link between Tomteboda on Stockholm’s northern fringe and the suburb of Södermalm located in the south.

With this award the STUVA acknowledges Stockholm’s future-oriented use of underground space for inner-urban transportation and the orientation of the urban infrastructure towards underground measures. As a result surface routes for commuter transportation and private motoring can be kept to a minimum and the city panorama improved as a consequence.

These efforts harmonise with STUVA’S aims and with this those of the 2011 Conference. The motto – Underground Construction for Sustainable Environmental and Climate Protection – finds fulfilment here. The purposefully executed development of the underground transport network signifies that the available resources are sustained in the long term both with respect to the available space as well as to mastering the need for mobility in this built-up area in a way devised to save energy. Thus living space is provided on the surface.

Furthermore innovative production methods are applied during this project, which call for outstanding engineering achievements. The tunnel between Södermann and Riddarholmen is representative. It cannot be set directly on the ocean bed on account of the soft subsurface. Instead the 3-section immersed tunnel was conceived as an underwater bridge and supported on 4 pillars.

Consequently the development of Stockholm’s transportation infrastructure can be regarded as a model for other European and international cities.