The A1 motorway has been running through the middle of Schwamendingen since 1980, with a traffic count of 120,000 vehicles per day – making this motorway section one of the busiest in Switzerland. This leads to noise, exhaust fumes and an almost insurmountable separation of the district: The traffic-plagued residents of Schwamendingen had enough of all of this in the 1990s. They collected 12,000 signatures and in March 1999 submitted a petition for a referendum demanding that part of the motorway be covered. The tunnel will run from the Zurich East motorway junction to the Schöneich Tunnel, extending the latter by 940 m in length to 1.7 km. The ventilation system and security features in the existing tunnel are to be renovated and modernised. 

A Simatic S7-1500 master controller and ten local controllers ensure the optimal operation of the tunnel ventilation system. Fifty-two ET200SP local peripheral devices are used to monitor and record the current status in the tunnel via sensors and to control the motors and jet fans, which are equipped with Sinamics G120X frequency converters. Local operation is taken care of by Unified View of Things and panels. Using PLC Sim Advanced, the CPU programs are simulated on a virtual controller, which means that the ventilation is put into operation virtually and the staff trained thanks to the digital twin.

Autcomp Automation  Established in Chur in 1989, the company develops complete and partial solutions in the areas of automation, control technology and ICT infrastructure at its three sites in Chur, Stansstad and Wohlen. Autcomp has been a Siemens Solution Partner in Automation Drives since 2012. 
HBI Haerter  HBI Haerter AG (Switzerland), HBI Haerter GmbH (Germany) and HBI Haerter Pty Ltd (Australia) are consulting engineering companies. The focus of their activities is on planning, project management and supporting the implementation of tunnel ventilation systems – including feasibility studies, installation and construction management, refurbishments, and optimisations during the operational phase.