OREANDA-NEWS. June 19, 2014. Steel from ArcelorMittal’s  Differdange facility in Luxembourg is being used in a unique construction, juggling modern day infrastructure and 400 years of history.

Two hundred tonnes of coated 16-metre HEB1000, HEB600 and HEB300 finishing beams produced at the Differdange site in the south west of the country are helping expand the Pulvermuhle railway bridge in Luxembourg city.

The viaduct - which currently has two tracks crossing the Alzette River enabling the connection of Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) Northern railway lines - is being transformed into a four-track railway with the construction of a new 242-metre long viaduct.

As part of the project, a tunnel connecting to the viaduct and running directly beneath ArcelorMittal’s offices on Boulevard d’Avranches had to be completely demolished and replaced.

The elaborate 18th century Spanish turret above the tunnel, however, had to be preserved in its entirety. Both the tunnel and turret projects needed to be accomplished without interrupting traffic on the major road.

ArcelorMittal experts and steel proved to be the solution for CFL, thanks largely to the high quality of products and services provided by the production site in Differdange and its beams finishing centre (C3P).

"This is a complex construction in the Grund, the historic heart of the city of Luxembourg. It is very rewarding to take part in a project of this magnitude, especially because the construction site is located close to the ArcelorMittal headquarters," says project manager Vincent Genot from ArcelorMittal Differdange’s beams finishing centre (C3P).

Work on the first stage of the project, which is the largest railway construction in the country, started in 2009. The first batch of beams weighing 160 tonnes has already been delivered with the next of around 40 tonnes scheduled to happen in January 2015.

Between 40 and 50 people are working on the construction, which is being done in three stages and is due to be completed in 2019.