Osmo-Anlagenbau of Georgsmarienhuette has been awarded the EUR7.5 million contract to upgrade lighting, electrical, and road traffic control equipment on the Breitenworbis to Bleicherode section of highway A38, including Hollberg tunnel. More from Herr Nordsiek, tel +49 5401 8580, e-mail info@osmo-anlagenbau.com. . http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=337058-2008 01/09. ..

Initial contract for site preparation on University Link awarded to West Coast contractor Condon-Johnson & Associates, www.condon-johnson.com/seattle/, value EUR13.93 million. ..

Joint venture Shea/Kenny has been awarded the EUR38 million contract to construct the 915 m-long x 5.2 m-diameter Underwood Creek diversion tunnel. The tunnel will hold 1,400 million litres of floodwater for controlled discharge into the Menomonee River. More from Dutch Vleigenthart, VP, at J F Shea, tel +1 909 594-9500. Just EUR216,000 separated Shea/Kenny from second bidder. Contact Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, tel +1 414 272-5100 or visit www.mmsd.com. 52/08. ..

ATI, a consortium of OHL, FCC Construction and Copisa, has been awarded the EUR1 billion concession for construction, maintenance and management of section 1 of line 9 of Barcelona Metro involving 13 stations and 17 km of line serving Prat airport, Llobregat hospital and the terminus at Amadeu Torner station. Line 9 will be the longest metro line in Europe at 46.6 km. Visit www.ohl.es, www.fcc.es, and www.copisa.com. 49/08. ..

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.

Prior information notice for construction works, value EUR24.86 million, for a undergroung cut-and-cover tunnel from Pabellon Moises Ruiz to Plaza de Barcelona, 1,1 km, with 0.8 m-thick base, 1.0 m-thick walls and 1.0 m-thick roof, on Carretera de Ronda, in Almeria. The works will include intermodal station.

Brazilian consortium Águas do São Francisco, formed by the companies Carioca Christiani Nielsen Engenharia, Serveng Civilsan and SA Paulista, won the bidding for the first lot of works on the São Francisco river diversion project. The winning proposal was for BRL239 million. The contract was signed on 31st December and the consortium is due to start the works on the northern axis in January. Lot 1 stretches for 39,128 metres and includes the 726 m Angico tunnel and the 1,512 m Milagres tunnel. Visit www.cariocaengenharia.com.br and www.sapaulista.com.br
Brazil's army corps of engineers has restarted works on the project this month. Since June, the army has been working on building a dam and two canals to transport river waters to pumping stations near Cabrobó municipality in Pernambuco state. However, the regional federal court had halted works on 10th December, as requested by the public prosecutor's office, which cited supposed irregularities in the national water council's original approval of the process. The federal supreme court ruled that going ahead with the project now would not cause irreversible environmental damage. The decision, however, only allows work to go ahead until the supreme court can judge the merits of the case at a date yet to be set.
The project involves moving the São Francisco river, South America's fourth biggest, in the northern arid states of Pernambuco, Ceará, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte where water is to be used above all for sugar-cane and fruit plantations, prawn farms and the steel industry in the area of Fortaleza. It involves the construction of two canals, running north and east, with together a length of 722 km, nine large pumping plants and 51.6 km of tunnels. Click here. Read E-News Weekly 4/2008 for more. Visit www.mi.gov.br/saofrancisco 04/08.