Spectacular landslide at Belval site delays university construction

 (ADW) An impressive landslide occurred at the weekend at a roadside barrier in Esch-Belval, taking one lane of the road into a pit below.

The reason: "accumulation of underground water", explained Alex Fixmer, Director of 'Fonds Belval' stating that building work has now been set back by "a delay of two to three months" at the site of the new Luxembourg University.

Everything was ready to begin work in about a fortnight for the mammoth construction of two laboratory buildings for the Cité des Sciences at the University in Belval. These two L-shaped buildings, which faced one another, were due to be finished at the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017.

However the spectacular landslide that occurred at the weekend has completely disrupted plans. Thousands of cubic metres of embankment have now fallen into the pit of the construction site, blocking access for diggers and other machinery in an area of about 40 metres.

“The anchors that held the barrier in place, dropped” explained Fixmer.  "It seems that there were disturbances underground. The roadway above changed the earth below so that it accumulated water and disturbed the soil. The mass of rock in which it was anchored was destabilised", explained the director of Fonds Belval .

However there is no cause for alarm. Work is already taking place to stabilise the entire pit "including in areas where there was no problem. Reinforcement anchors are being dug deeper," concluded Fixmer.