Prior information notice of start of award procedures on 27.05.2010 for general safety upgrade and restoration of six road tunnels to RABT 2006 standard, value EUR26.5 million, commencing winter 2010 with Herkulestrasse, value EUR7.54 million. For further information contact Stadt Koeln, tel +49 221221-23647, fax –28715, e-mail zentrales-vergabeamt@stadt-koeln.de. For details of all tunnels involved in this project visit tunnelbuilder archive de/106. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062973-2010. 10/10...

Vicenzetto Srl of Villa Estense have secured the EUR587,987 contract for test drilling and boring work in Brenner Base tunnel. Contact Johann Hager at BBT SE in Innsbruck, tel +43 5124030, fax +43 5124030-110, e-mail ava@bbt-se.com. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062301-2010 and www.vicenzetto.it. ..

The CPV consortium, formed by CSC SA (Lugano) and Pizzarotti SA (Bellinzona), signed the EUR43 million contract for the construction of Lot 854 at Vezia, the main lot of Ceneri Base Tunnel, including the south portal, 200 m of cut-and-cover tunnel, as well as drilling, blasting and lining both tunnels along a length of 300 m. Works at Vezia will continue until 2016. Commercial operation of the Ceneri Base Tunnel with scheduled train services is planned to start at the end of 2019. Of the total of 40.19 km of the Ceneri Base Tunnel, at the end of February 2010, 7,673 m, or 19.1%, had been ..

Imtech Austria Anlagentechnik GmbH of Linz have secured the contract for supply, installation and commissioning of ventilation equipment for the tunnel section of the Harter Plateau tramway line. For more, contact Ing. Harald Grogger at Managementservice Linz GmbH in Linz, tel +43 7323400-7982, fax -157982, e-mail h.grogger @ linzag.at. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=059736-2010. 10/10...

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 Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) granted the new Torito hydroelectric project to Spanish corporation Unión Fenosa, which will generate 50 MW of power. The contract signed consists of the construction, operation for 20 years and transfer of the whole project under the BOT model, three years of which will be dedicated to construction.

Astaldi has been awarded a contract of USD282 million (Astaldi's share is 95% of it) for the construction of the Chacayes dam, in the valley of the Cachapoal river. The plant will have an output capacity of 106 MW and will entail the construction of more than 6 km of tunnels and a complex water inlet system. Works are expected to be completed within 2011. The owner is Australian group Pacific Hydro. Visit www.astaldi.com and www.pacifichydro.com.au

The new electrified dual-track railway from Oued Tlélat to the Moroccan border is 200 km long and includes 12 tunnels. Its route is divided in three sections: Oued Tlélat-Sidi Bel Abbès, Sidi Bel Abbès-Tlemcen and Tlemcen-Moroccan border. In June 2007, ANESRIF - the national agency for railway investments - awarded a DZD143.4 billion contract

Sweco Infrastructure pocketed a contract to be TBM inspector for the Hallandsås project. Visit www.swecogroup.com 38/08.

FCC and Copisa have subcontracted to SELI the construction of the 5,716 m Sant Just water tunnel which will link the Fontsanta and Trinitat potable water stations, respectively located in Sant Just Desvern and Barcelona. The subcontract amounts to EUR10.7 million. The bored diameter is 5.98 m, which is a cross-section of 28.09 square metres, while the inner diameter equals 5.20 m after lining with precast concrete segments.

Geoconsult España won a EUR3.6 million contract for support to the construction management and follow-up of safety measures during construction of the tunnels on the Sants-La Roca del Vallès and Riudellots-Figueras sections. These two sections include four TBM-built tunnels to cross Barcelona, Monteada and Girona stretching for a total of 10.6 km, eight tunnels built by conventional methods, stretching for a total of 13.6 km, seven cut-and-cover tunnels stretching for 4.3 km, and four false tunnels stretching for a total of 2.1 km. Visit www.geoconsult.es 38/08.

The engineering institute of the national autonomous university of Mexico (UNAM) will be the adviser to the federal district government during the construction of Line 12 of the Mexico City metro, that goes from Mixcoac to Tláhuac. The UNAM will assist the client in the areas of geotechnics, structural engineering and environmental impact. The technical advising consists in reviewing, analysing and evaluating the aspects related to geotechnical and geoseismical engineering associated with the analysis, design and construction of the Golden line

CMC signed a EUR180 million construction contract for the Theun Hinboun expansion project. The project is the expansion from 220 to 440 MW of the installed capacity of the existing hydroelectric power plant originally built by Recchi-CMC JV in 1995-1998. The contract has been awarded by Theun Hinboun Power Company Ltd, owner and operator of the existing power plant and co-owned by Electricité du Laos (60%),

Reinforcement works of the crown of the 4 km bidirectional Comelico tunnel on trunk road SS 52 Carnica, in Belluno province, commenced on 15th September. These works will take 60 days and aim at reducing the water ingress from the overlying rock and consolidating the top heading of the tunnel by rebuilding the groundwater collection and drainage.

Tuscany-based Satrel secured three contracts for lighting, ventilation and safety works in tunnels on highway A23 Udine-Carnia-Tarvisio, in Udine province, and on highway A27 Venezia-Belluno, in Belluno province.

China Railway Group Ltd signed a contract worth around CNY9.5 billion with Shenzhen Metro Co. to build Shenzhen's subway line 5. Line 5 will cost nearly CNY20 billion. The construction period for the 42 km subway will be 42 months. The line, consisting of 29 stations, completes a loop of the city's underground traffic with other lines. It has interchanges with lines 1, 2, 3 and 4. Visit www.crec.cn 38/08.

Turkish construction firm Dogus and the Metro Trace consortium signed an agreement with the municipal company Metropoliten for the construction of the second line of the Sofia metro on 27th August.

Euroconsult bagged a EUR1.6 million contract to supervise the construction of the 11.8 km Unquera-Pendueles section on the Cantabrian motorway A-8, including the Santiuste tunnel (520 m / 820 m), and the 410 m El Peral cut-and-cover tunnel. Visit www.euroconsult.es 36/08.

Auding received a EUR1.2 million contract to design the Zona Universitaria, Campus Norte and Manuel Girona stations and ventilation shafts, as part of the revised section 3 Zona Universitaria-Sagrera Meridiana of Line 9 of the Barcelona metro. Visit www.auding.com 36/08.

A consortium of Somague, Soares da Costa, Mota Engil, Efacec and Monte Adriano has been awarded the construction contract of the light rail line between Porto and Gondomar, which has an estimated investment of EUR97.5 million.