The construction contract for the EUR133 million Lai Chi Kok Transfer Scheme, advertised at tunnelbuilder.com earlier this year, has been awarded to Leighton Asia. The project includes two 4.9 m-diameter storm water drainage tunnels with total length of 3.7 km between West Kowloon reclamation and Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po districts, six intake shafts, a stilling basin, an outfall adit into Victoria Harbour, and 270 m of 3 m-diameter connection adits. Work starts immediately for completion in 2012. More from Quinnie Lee, tel +852 2823 1427, e-mail quinnie.lee@leightonasia.com 47/08..

Contract valued EUR414,000 awarded by Norwegian Railway Infrastructure Administration to Norconsult AS of Sandvika to provide technical and detailed plans of tunnels for the joint project E6 road and Dovrebanen, lot Minnesund-Kleverud, which includes one twin-tube 0.6 km-long road tunnel and 3.1 km of single railway tunnel over a 17 km-long alignment in Eidsvoll and Stange municipalities. ..

Contract for telecommunications installations for 6.5 km section of new double railway track in Baerum municipality for Lysaker-Sandvika, of which 5.5 km in tunnel, awarded by Jernbaneverket to T Connect AS of Manglerud, Oslo. http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=292852-2008 More from Olaf Bjerknes, tel +47 9943 4144, e-mail olbj@jbv.no 46/08. ..

Bemel Norge AS of Majorstuen, Oslo has been awarded the contract to supply ventilation fans to the 5.37 km-long Atlantic Ocean tunnel between Kristiansund and Bremnes on National Road 64 in the value EUR555,000...

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.

Venezuela's state railway autonomous institute IAFE and the Italian embassy signed in January a letter of intent for the construction of the 70 km-long La Encrucijada-Charallave railway section, the last link to connect Caracas with Puerto Cabello. The path is in phase of optimisation and for the moment 18 tunnels stretching for a total of approx. 25 km are planned. The letter of intent sets the basis for awarding the contract to a consortium of builders which is expected to be formed by Ghella, Astaldi and Impregilo, who are currently building the Puerto Cabello-La Encrucijada section. Click here. 08/08.

In December, Arup has been appointed technical advisor during the construction phase which will see the existing Tyne tunnel double in capacity by introducing a new 1.6 km tunnel, including an immersed tube tunnel. The new tunnel will carry two lanes of southbound traffic while the existing tunnel will be converted to carry two lanes of traffic travelling northbound. Arup worked with the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA) for the last eight years to develop designs for the crossing and to help procure a concessionaire for the project. Construction of the new Tyne crossing is scheduled to begin next spring and take four years. Read E-News Weekly 4/2008. Click here. Visit www.arup.com and www.newtynecrossing.info 08/08.

A joint venture of GOC and Seinco landed a EUR790,000 contract for site supervision as well as health and safety coordination during construction of the 1.9 km Rañadoiro tunnel on the Cornellana-Cerredo Pass section of road AS-15 at Rañadoiro Pass. Visit www.gocsa.es and www.seinco.net 08/08.

A joint venture including CETu (Centre d’Etudes des Tunnels), CETE (Centre d’Etudes Techniques de l’Equipement), both under the Ministry of ecology, sustainable development and land planning, Bonnard et Gardel and its subsidiary Tonello scooped a EUR3.8 million contract for advise and general technical assistance for the north ring road in Grenoble. Read E-News Weekly 42/2007. Visit www.cetu.equipement.gouv.fr and www.bg-21.com 08/08.

Siemens is supplying an operations management and traffic control system to the value of around EUR57 million for 29 tunnels on a 4-lane road from Espiye to the Sarp/Batumi border checkpoint along the coast of the Black Sea in the direction of Georgia's border. Siemens will be installing a central control station with seven control substations as well as the entire technical infrastructure with traffic control, fire protection, fire fighting, power supply, lighting, and ventilation systems as well as communication and camera monitoring equipment with automatic event detection. Click here for more. Visit www.siemens.com/traffic 08/08.

Eptisa landed a EUR1.2 million contract for site supervision and work inspection during construction of the Ordizia-Itsasondo section of the high speed line. This 2,859 m-long section runs almost fully in tunnel (2,814 metres). Visit www.eptisa.es 07/08.

Restricted call for tenders, deadline 20th March, 2008 for completion of the 3,311 m Albogasio single bored tunnel on bypass road SS 340 Regina on the Italian side of Lake Lugano to the border with Switzerland, including construction of a ventilation facility, a parallel safety tunnel with cross passages to the main tunnel, and installation of E&M equipment. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=24211-2008, OJ S 19, or contact ANAS, Rome, fax +39 064456224 or 064462009. E-mail i.polchi@stradeanas.it 07/08.

A joint venture led by Marti Tunnelbau, with its sister company Marti Austria and Johann Bunte Bauunternehmung of Germany as partners, pocketed a EUR200 contract to build the Bibra tunnel, which consists of two parallel single-track tubes, 6,414 m long each, and a 1.3 km open air stretch on the Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high speed line

The Marseille Provence Metropolis Urban Community has selected the consortium led by VINCI Concessions (58.5%) in partnership with Eiffage (41.5%) for the financing, design, construction, maintenance and operation of the Prado Sud toll tunnel in Marseille. The project consists of a public service management contract with a concession duration of 46 years, including the design and build period.

A joint venture of Razel, Bilfinger Berger and BEC Frères will build the Rizzanese hydro scheme, including a 5,860 m-long subhorizontal headrace tunnel, whereof 500 metres of a horseshoe-shaped cross-section stretch equivalent to a 3.90 m diameter will be built by drilling and blasting under steep gradient of 4.77%, and 5,360 metres by TBM under low gradient, with a bored diameter of 3.50 m. The project also includes a 90 m-high surge chimney, with inner diameter ranging from 2.40 m (lower half) to 7 m (upper half). Thirty metres will be built with traditional methods and the rest using a raise borer. Visit www.razel.fr, www.bilfingerberger.de and www.becfreres.com 07/08.

Indra has been awarded a contract to implement its traffic management, toll and tunnel control systems in the Nororiente highway and in the San Cristobal tunnel in the capital, Santiago de Chile.

Ghella scooped a ARS454.2 million contract to build two flood relief tunnels from the main storm drainpipe of the Maldonado creek basin, with important associated works, as well as reinforcement works of the storm water secondary system of collectors, to avoid significant inconveniences generated by floods that are produced by storms.

Cavico Corp. has been awarded a construction contract valued at USD19.2 million to build the second section of the headrace tunnel at the Dambri hydropower plant. The latest contract with Southern Hydropower Joint Stock Company is to construct a 3.2 km-long and 3.66 m to 4.30 m-wide section of the headrace tunnel.

The design of a 1.2 km tunnel to cross the Cullera mountain and shorten the distance between the N-332 and the beaches has been commissioned to Iva Leying for EUR399,000. The company has seven months to complete the designs of the tunnel. Read E-News Weekly 6/2008. Visit www.iva-leying.es 06/08.

A consortium comprising Soares da Costa and Spie Batignolles Europe has won a EUR15.7 million tender to design and build the first phase of the Trofa railway bypass on the Minho line, in Porto district and Ave subregion. The first phase of the 3,555 m rail bypass is a 1,404 m-long 85 sq m tunnel that has to be completed in 730 days. Visit www.refer.pt, www.soaresdacosta.pt and www.spiebatignolles.fr 06/08.