The consortium Spie Sud Est/Yvroud Europeenne des Fluides, Feyzin secured the EUR7.6 million contract for equipment maintenance in the Grand Lyon tunnels, the most important of which are Fourviere (1,850 m), Croix-Rousse (1,750 m), Brotteaux-Servient and Vivier-Merle (336 m). For more, contact Communaute Urbaine de Lyon, fax +33 478 957097, or visit http://marches.grandlyon.com. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=058386-2010. 11/10...

Gähler und Partner AG of Ennetbaden have secured the EUR2.28 million contract for PM designer for safety refurbishment in 1.14 km-long Mosi tunnel on A4, near Brunnen. Contact OFROU, Zofingen, tel +41 6274575-11, fax -90, e-mail beschaffung.zofingen@astra.admin.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062920-2010. 11/10...

IG BP2, c/o Bänziger Partner AG of Zurich, secured the EUR2.63 million contract from BAMO for 5.7 km-long N3 Kerenzer tunnel. Contact OFROU, Winterthour, tel +41 522344-711, fax -790, e-mail winterthur@astra.admin.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062921-2010. 11/10..

Construction contract for Kuechelberg tunnel awarded to PAC SpA consortium, value EUR34,695,272 excluding VAT. More from PAC in Capo di Ponte, tel +39 0364331037, fax +39 036442303, e-mail info@pacspa.it and client APB in Bozen, tel +39 04714125-14, fax –39, e-mail gare-11.5@provincia.bz.it Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=071475-2010. 11/10...

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA is inviting companies to prequalify for civil engineering work on railway tunnels in Italy. Further information and documents from Iacomino Raffaele at Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato in Milan, tel +39 02637 148-19, fax –20, e-mail dns-qs@rfi.it to whom requests to participate should be sent. Visit

Pre-feasibility study being undertaken by ILF Consulting Engineers for construction of single track railway line along the Karakorum highway between the end of the existing railway network in the south at Havelian and the border between Pakistan and China near the famous Khunjrab Pass in the north.

Prequalification underway by MTR for tender reference no 703 for West Island Line SHW to SYP tunnels value EUR30 million with a view to selective invitations to tender being issued in 4Q/2008 for contract award in 3Q/2009. Expressions of interest to Malcolm O’Neill, tel 3921 3383, e-mail moneill@mtr.com.hk Visit www.mtr.com.hk/eng/tenders/new_projects.html 45/08.

The canton of Bern’s road office awarded in March the construction contract of the east branch of the A5 motorway bypass in Biel to a consortium of Walo Bertschinger, Specogna Bau and Porr Technobau und Umwelt. The east branch of Biel’s four-lane motorway bypass stretches for 4.9 km. It goes from the A5/A16 interchange in Champs-de-Boujean in the north and then takes the 2 x 1.5 km Büttenberg tunnel. After an open air section in Orpond, the motorway then runs though the 2 x 2.5 km Längholz tunnel. In Marais-de-Brügg in the south, an interchange will connect the east branch with the T6 semi-motorway to Lyss and Bern and with the future west branch, still under planning. Visit www.walo.ch, www.specogna.ch and www.ptu.at

To bore both tunnels, the consortium has placed an order with Herrenknecht for a 12.24 m-outer diameter EPB TBM. The internal diameter of the tunnel will be 11 m. The TBM is scheduled to commence boring the Büttenberg tunnel on 1^st April, 2009. The machine will work from north to south, commencing with the east tube of the tunnel, then continuing with the east tube of the Langhölz tunnel before being brought back to the north portal of the Büttenberg tunnel to excavate the west bores of both tunnels. After approx. 1.5 km on its way through the Langhölz tunnel, the TBM will work in closed mode because of changing geology. The spoil will be extracted by a conveyor belt. The supplier has not been chosen yet. Visit www.herrenknecht.com

Preliminary work is ongoing since July 2007 to install the worksite, build the eight portals using the cut-and-cover method and install 41 horizontal piles, 1.40 m in diameter, leaning on diaphragm walls to shape a sort of crossing bridge under the Biel-Olten line and allow the TBM to cross the line under a 4 m cover without cutting traffic. The first three test piles will be constructed in December. The east branch of Biel’s A5 motorway bypass will open in 2015. Read E-News Weekly 41/2007 & 4/2006. Visit www.a5-biel-bienne.ch 43/07.