Swizerland will keep building tunnels, says construction firm chief

According to Implenia boss, there is "no way around" tunnel construction Keystone-SDA

In an interview, Implenia CEO André Wyss emphasised the importance of tunnel construction in view of urbanisation and the growing transport needs in Europe.

According to him, this is why there will continue to be new and major construction projects in Europe in the future.

“There is no way around tunnel construction,” Wyss said in an interview with Schweiz am Wochenende.

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He was particularly proud of Implenia’s involvement in all four current transalpine routes, including the second tunnel of the Gotthard road tunnel and the Brenner base tunnel.

In the newspaper, Wyss referred to increased demands in the construction industry, such as stricter regulations and longer building permit procedures. While objections are a central part of democracy, he criticised delays caused by special interests. Prices also remain an issue and have risen sharply in recent years for building materials, especially for steel and wood. The cost for these materials is now at a higher but acceptable level.

Conflict of interest ?

Wyss emphasised that he would handle potential conflicts of interest professionally and ethically in his future role as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Federal Railways. As the current CEO of Implenia, he is also a shareholder in the company, which regularly receives construction contracts from the railway company’s tenders. Wyss stated that he would sell his unblocked Implenia shares in the medium term in a structured process.

He also emphasised that the Railways’ Board of Directors does not decide directly on the awarding of individual construction contracts. These are subject to clearly regulated public procurement law. “Should a conflict of interest nevertheless arise, I will of course step aside,” Wyss continued.

After more than six years as Implenia CEO, Wyss will step down at the end of March 2025. He will join the Board of Directors of the Swiss Federal Railways in April and will chair it in 2026. Implenias own Board of Directors has appointed Jens Vollmar, currently Head of the Building Construction Division, as his successor.

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

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