Brussels, 18/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 18 May in Rome, Italian and Austrian transport ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on building the Brenner alpine tunnel. The aim of the tunnel is to put heavy vehicles travelling between Austria and Italy on rail tracks, according to a press release from the Italian railway. Signed by Italian Minister Altero Matteoli, and Austrian Minister Doris Bures, the agreement provides for work to begin by 2014 and for the rail tunnel to be completed by 2022. Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani jointly signed the document, with German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee, and the leaders of the three countries' rail networks. Under the agreement, a company, the Brenner Corridor Platform (BCP) will be created, to coordinate work. All three countries will be represented in this company, as well as the administrators of rail networks and the European Commission. The cost of the project (a rail tunnel 55 km long linking Innsbruck in Austria to Franzensfeste in Italy) is estimated at €8 billion and must be borne equally by Austria, Italy and the European Union. Germany will build the necessary infrastructure on its territory to link Munich to the tunnel. On the Italian side, work of digging the exploratory tunnel began last spring. The Brenner tunnel is the most ambitious European infrastructure project. (L.C./transl.jl)