The level of operational safety is of vital importance for a tunnel project. It is crucial from an ethical and juridical point of view, and it affects the reputation of the tunnel amongst the users in the public and political opinion. Safety is also an important factor for the cost of insurance and maintenance during the entire lifetime of the tunnel.
Tunnel safety is a result of a complex interplay between many factors: Tunnel layout, traffic patterns, user behaviour, mechanical and electrical installations and control and monitoring systems. Safety also depends on the organisation of operation and maintenance.COWI ensures that tunnel safety is handled in a comprehensive and systematic manner throughout the entire project. We base our solutions on risk screenings that provide a systematic identification of possible risks and experience-based evaluations of the frequency and consequences of various occurrences. Our services comprise all tasks with relevance to safety, including the process of obtaining authority approval.