A labor dispute is putting the Carmel Tunnels' construction deadline in jeopardy.
By MEIR BROOKSHaifa tunnel 88 224(photo credit: Albatross)
Work on Haifa's Carmel Tunnels, the largest, most ambitious construction project of its kind in Israel, which bears a price tag of NIS 1.25 billion, has abruptly ground to a halt. Over 500 Chinese workers responsible for excavating the tunnels, employed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), left the construction zone over a month ago and postponed their work until further notice. At the time this article was sent to print, the situation had not changed.
The move is the result of a financial dispute between the CCECC and Carmelton, the privately financed company that is overseeing the tunnel project. The CCECC is demanding tens of millions of shekels from Carmelton to pay for rising material costs and unexpectedly high expenditures. The Chinese company notes that the work has thus far proceeded well ahead of schedule, and therefore the request for funds is not unjustified. Carmelton refuses to pay, and the dispute has intensified in the past few weeks, beginning with a slowdown in construction and reaching a crisis level last weekend with a complete cessation of work. Carmelton spokesman Avi Shmoul told Metro that negotiations were ongoing and said the company hopes the problem will be resolved soon. When contacted by Metro, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav was out of the country, but Yahav's spokesman said he was "convinced that all measures would be taken to renew the construction on schedule. I assume [the situation] will be resolved quickly."
Since the CCECC is responsible only for the excavations, all other work is continuing as usual, including construction on the complex bridge network that connects the tunnels to Haifa's traffic arteries and the work on the eastern segment.
The aim of the Carmel Tunnels, a project conceived over a decade ago and slated for completion in 2011, is to allow drivers to get from Haifa's southern entrance to the northern bay area without having to pass through city traffic. Today, such a drive takes 30-50 minutes - a time expected to shrink to just six minutes when the project is completed. The project is expected to ease traffic congestion throughout Haifa by at least 15 percent, benefiting even those residents who don't use the tunnels.
The ambitious project is comprised of two segments, each comprised of a pair of tunnels (one running in each direction). The first runs from Haifa's coast to the Rupin Highway, near the Grand Canyon mall; the second begins at Rupin and continues to the Check Post Junction at the northern edge of the city. Each tunnel is 6.5 meters tall by 10 meters wide, enough room for two full-trailer trucks to drive side by side. Exits will be in place at 250-meter intervals so that in the event of an emergency, drivers will be able to switch to the parallel tunnel and change direction. The tunnels also feature pedestrian crossings spaced at 250-meter intervals.
The Carmel tunnels will be toll roads. The toll for the route, in its first year of operation, is currently set at NIS 10 from the coast to Check Post (NIS 5 per segment). Tolls have been capped so as not to exceed NIS 8 after the tunnels' first year. The project is being constructed in the BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) system, under which Carmelton - owned by Ashtrom Engineering & Construction Ltd. (50%) and Shikun Vebinui Maintenance Inc. (50%) - has signed on to complete the tunnels and operate them as a private enterprise for 35 years; no taxpayers' money is being used to finance the project.
Nevertheless, many Haifa residents feel they are, in fact, paying for the tunnels. Ever since construction began in January 2007 there have been widespread complaints over the noise and tremors produced by the blasting process. Three times a day, tunnel workers drill holes in the rock, place explosives inside, detonate them and clear the debris. By the time the excavations were halted, some 5,000 explosions had been carried out. This method has stirred some controversy, as detractors claim it is both antiquated and disruptive to the residents. Its defenders say blasting is the most cost-efficient method and that its supposed adverse effect on the surroundings is exaggerated.
"The effect on the public isn't a serious problem," said Shmoul. He noted that Carmelton had adopted the strict German regulation DIN 4150, which limits the power of the explosions, and that the company was adhering to it carefully. "We've had [just] 10 breaches [of the regulation]; we're being very cautious," he said. According to Shmoul, the tunnels are 100-200 meters below any residential areas, and so the residents should feel neither the explosions nor vehicle movement once the tunnels open. He noted that Carmelton had received some 160 complaints from residents.
Shmuel Gelbhart, deputy mayor of Haifa and chairman of the Green Party in the city, is infuriated by such comments. "[Does Carmelton think] people get up in the morning, bored, and just decide to complain?!" he asks. While most complaints are sent to Carmelton, Gelbhart says he has personally been contacted by 12-15 residents, often repeatedly, who claimed they were affected by the tunnel construction. A few alleged that cracks had formed in their buildings as a result of the explosions, although this could not be verified, and many complained of strong vibrations. "From my experience, for every one who complains, there are dozens [of affected residents who don't]," he said.
Gelbhart led the fight against the blasting method, which he called "the shoddiest and most brutal," suggesting instead that the tunnels be excavated using a tunnel boring machine (TBM), an enormous cylindrical apparatus that gradually cuts into the rock. He says his efforts were met with contempt and mockery, and that his arguments against blasting were not addressed. Carmelton says that using a TBM would be impractical and too costly for the relatively small Carmel tunnels.
Speaking to Haifa's Radio 107.5 FM earlier this year, a Carmelton representative rejected allegations about the project's effects on the public. "Anyone who claims that the controlled blasts in the Carmel Tunnels cause tremors is invited to come to the site and see personally that the explosions cause no tremors whatsoever. Despite this, since the project began, our call center has had to answer to every sonic boom of a plane flying above Haifa or firing exercise of the Navy, as if these were explosions coming from the tunnels. The concerns are understandable, but they are completely baseless."
Erika Adler, who lives near the tunnels' Rupin exit, disagrees. "Every day we hear explosions, sometimes late in the evening. They say [the tremors] aren't coming from the tunnels, but they are. Sometimes the entire building shakes from the tremors; everyone feels it. But what can you do…." she says resignedly.
The body responsible for supervising the environmental effects of the tunnels is the Haifa District Municipal Association for the Environment. Esther Star, in charge of environmental planning for the Association, noted that while environmental complaints about a major multi-year project that spanned all of Haifa were inevitable, damage from the construction has been minimal. "In the past, there were anomalies in the strength of the tremors [produced by the explosions]. These were few, and we demanded they be addressed. There were a few complaints about noise pollution. Regarding air pollution, there were, of course, occasional dust clouds [caused primarily by vehicle movement and excavations]; we insisted that the access roads [be dampened] to avoid dust rising in the work areas." Star noted that Carmelton had been cooperative in dealing with these issues: "They address the problems - they have to be reminded occasionally, it's true, but they do." In fact, Carmelton agreed to limit the number of explosions to three per day in response to complaints by residents.
Recently, the tunnels project has gained the support of Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra, who voiced his confidence that the Carmel Tunnels would benefit Haifa and its environment. "Obviously, a car that drives for 30 minutes today, and will drive [the same distance] in five minutes in the future, will create less pollution," he said during a visit to the site.
The silent spring
Meanwhile, as workers blast their way through the mountain, a much quieter project is underway near the Check Post Junction. As part of Carmelton's efforts to beautify the area surrounding the tunnels, the little-known Ein Se'adya spring reserve is being rehabilitated. The spring draws on water that wells up in the bay area and eventually flows into the Kishon River. Though considered by many to be one of Haifa's hidden natural gems, it has long been neglected and polluted by surrounding industrial activity. The first stage of the rehabilitation process involved rerouting a tributary of the spring and relocating all the wildlife and plant life inside to the new flow.
"The river was neglected - oil, diesel and sewage coming from the Check Post flowed through it," said Zion Siman Tov, in charge of the environmental renovation surrounding the Carmel Tunnels project. "It was terribly polluted apart from the first five to 10 meters, in which there were fish and other animals that didn't suffer. Beyond that, the wildlife did suffer, living in such [polluted] waters that it's hard to understand how they survived." The entire process took only a few weeks.
Carmelton hopes that by the end of the rehabilitation process, Ein Se'adya will once again be an important nature site in Haifa. The company is particularly proud of its plan to bring water lilies back to the reserve, after an absence of decades. However, the spring will remain inaccessible for a year or so, due to the construction underway at the site.
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