Zurich Airport AG has completed a first major construction phase in the large-scale redesign of the Glatt River. In the Eichhof area near the municipality of Rümlang, the watercourse was successfully diverted into a newly created artificial riverbed over a length of approximately 700 meters.
This measure is part of a comprehensive hydraulic engineering project in the immediate vicinity of Switzerland's largest air traffic hub. The relocation serves as a legally mandated ecological compensation measure for various construction expansions and infrastructure projects on the airport grounds, in order to comply with legal requirements for landscape and species protection.
The entire revitalization project represents an estimated investment of 50 million Swiss francs, equivalent to approximately 53 million euros. The overarching goal of the plan is to restore the Glatt River, which has been heavily straightened and canalized in the past, to a more natural state along a total length of 3,3 kilometers. The construction plans include the creation of river inlets, known as meanders, extensive shallow water zones, and structurally diverse, unpaved riverbanks. These structural interventions in the topography are intended to regulate the river's flow velocity and increase the structural diversity of the river landscape.
During this first phase of implementation in the Eichhof area, the focus of the hydraulic engineers is on establishing specific refuges for local fauna. Plans include special protection zones for juvenile fish, as well as nesting and habitats for wild bees and kingfishers. The earthworks will be accompanied by extensive forestry and agricultural measures: In addition to the creation of approximately 1,8 hectares of new reed meadows, the planting of 345 site-appropriate trees and an estimated 11.600 shrubs is planned. This planting will contribute to stabilizing the new riverbanks and simultaneously serve as visual and noise protection.
The completion of the current Eichhof section is scheduled for spring 2027. Afterward, however, the entire Glatt River project will be suspended indefinitely, as planned. The reason for this temporary halt to construction is the pending regulatory guidelines and legal framework regarding the handling of chemically contaminated soil and legacy pollution in the airport's vicinity. Only once the cantonal authorities have defined the precise disposal and remediation requirements for the soil can the subsequent construction phases for the renaturalization of the remaining river kilometers be put out to tender and commenced.