The project began in June 2008 and was planned to take 1,645 days to complete. Construction is taking place in two phases. Firstly, the shell was dug out, which finished in late 2011. Secondly, equipping the tunnel with tracks, etc. was scheduled to last from late 2010 to late 2013. In fact, track laying began in 2014. The tunnel was expected to be officially opened on 12 December 2015, but the opening was postponed until 9 April 2016 because the mandatory safety test could not be held due to the
Brussels lockdown. The opening date was designed in the framework of the
Brussels RER 2015 plan, which had to be modified until the tunnel could be put into service. The safety test was eventually held on 25 February 2016, and the tunnel opened on 4 April. The cost of the tunnel is estimated at €210 million, funded through
Beliris, a joint venture between the Belgian Federal State and the Brussels Region. The project is also managed by
Infrabel. Unusual construction techniques were used to limit disturbance to local residents and protect the appearance of Brussels. It was decided to carry out the work without opening the tunnel from the surface so the digging is being done without a
tunnel boring machine, but rather by hand or using small excavators. The Cortenbergh road tunnel was built with extra deep foundations to accommodate a future rail tunnel beneath it. Elsewhere, the tunnel passes close beneath the cellars of buildings, and in any case delivering a TBM in central Brussels would have created great disruption. Similar techniques were used during the construction of the underground junction passing under
Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. File:Station Schuman.jpg|
Brussels-Schuman railway station looking north towards the Schuman-Josaphat tunnel File:Meiser station.jpg|
Meiser railway station looking south towards the Schuman-Josaphat tunnel ==References==