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.

A joint venture of Porr Tunnelbau, Porr Technobau und Umwelt, and Hypo Investmentbank has scooped a EUR47.8 million contract to construct the 1,745 m city tunnel in Waidhofen an der Ybbs. A joint venture of Intergeo and Bernd Gebauer Ingenieur secured a EUR1.4 million contract to supervise the job. Visit www.porr.at/tunnelbau, www.intergeo.at and www.bgebauer.de 34-35/08.

The Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC) as a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) is stepping up efforts to implement the Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme (STEP) during the next six years to establish a tunnel that will cater to the immediate, short and long-term needs of Abu Dhabi's wastewater and drainage issues.

Preliminary work for the construction of a traffic diversion route system has begun at the entrance of Abu Dhabi to pave the way for three years of construction work that involves the 3.1 km Al Salam tunnel, which is set to be the longest road tunnel in the Middle East. A joint venture of South Korea-based Samsung Engineering and Abu Dhabi-based Saif Bin Darwish has won the contract for the main construction works.

The Canarian government awarded a joint venture of FCC, Corsan-Corviam and Petrecan a EUR111.7 million contract for the construction of the Puerto Rico-Mogan highway in Gran Canaria Island. The 6.3 km section includes 3,805 metres of tunnel (seven twin tunnels which account for 60% of the route) and 1,130 metres of viaduct.

A joint venture of Domtra 57 and Intecsa-Inarsa has been entrusted with the detailed design of the high speed rail section between Seville's Santa Justa railway station and San Pablo airport. The project includes a 10 km tunnel and forms part of the Seville-Malaga high speed line. Their contract is worth EUR3.5 million. Visit www.intecsa-inarsa.es 32-33/08.

A 9.4 m-diameter NFM Technologies EPB tunnel boring machine was officially launched on 10th June, 2008 by officials, as part of the 2007-2010 transport expansion programme, to bore the 3.4 km extension of Line 11 from La Peseta to La Fortuna in Leganes. The machine was last used to build a previous extension of Line 11 from Pan Bendito to La Peseta in Carabanchel. Previously, it completed the Atocha-Nuevos Ministerios section of the newly opened cross-city railway tunnel connecting Atocha and Chamartin central stations in Madrid, sections of the Metrosur Line 12 and a Line 2 extension. Click here. The construction contract has been awarded to Dragados. Of the 3,400 metres in tunnel, 25 metres to connect with La Peseta will be mined manually using Madrid’s traditional method. Visit www.nfm-technologies.com and www.dragados.com 32-33/08.

CMC, in joint venture with the South African contractor PG Mavundla, has been awarded the main underground works contract for the construction of Ingula (previously Braamhoek) pumped storage scheme, a 1,340 MW capacity hydroelectric plant, situated western of Durban, within the Little Drakensberg mountain range, worth approximately EUR600 million. The project mainly includes the construction of an intake canal, two headrace tunnels with a total length of two kilometres, an underground powerhouse which will house four 335 MW Francis turbines, a transformer cavern, a 2,450 m tailrace tunnel, ventilation and surge shafts, a tailrace outlet canal and the intake and outlet structures. Click here to read more. Visit www.cmc.coop 32-33/08.

Bento Pedroso Construções, the Portuguese branch of Norberto Odebrecht of Brazil, and Lena Engenheria e Construções won a EUR257.3 million contract to build the 170 MW Baixo Sabor scheme in Bragança district, including a 123 m-high upstream dam and a 43 m-high downstream dam, which will house underground two generating units each fed by independent tunnels. A tunnel will also divert the river on its left bank. Visit www.odebrecht.com 32-33/08.

The Secretariat for communications and transport (SCT) has awarded three civil works contracts to complete the Durango-Mazatlán highway. The three contracts have a value MXP8,721 million and the project has to be completed in early 2012.

A joint venture of Vidoni and Alma CIS scooped a EUR44.9 million contract for executive design and construction as part of the upgrading of road SS13 "Pontebbana" damaged by flooding in 2003. There is a 1 km tunnel. Visit www.vidonispa.it and www.almacis.it 32-33/08.

For the first line of the Thessaloniki metro, Impregilo, Aegek and SELI will build a 2 x 7.7 km tunnel, 6.12 m bored diameter and 5.25 m finished diameter, lined with 30 cm-thick universal precast concrete segments. The line also includes 13 stations, also to be constructed by the consortium.

Sogreah won the tender for the hydrogeological study for the northern ring road in Grenoble, a 2 x 6 km road link to connect the A41 and A480 highways. Its route is mainly underground, in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels or deep bored tunnels. Visit www.sogreah.fr 32-33/08.

Maunsell Consultants Asia has won an HKD18.8 million contract from the Highways Department to carry out investigation work for the planned combined bridge and tunnel link between Tuen Mun and Hong Kong international airport at Chek Lap Kok. The Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok link comprises about 4 km-long dual 2-lane immersed tube tunnel across the Urmston Road shipping channel, one of the busiest shipping channels in Hong Kong. Visit www.maunsell.aecom.com and www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/profile/latest/esb175/esb175.pdf 32-33/08.

Oden Anläggningsentreprenad secured a SEK112.7 million contract to construct the 835 m Gårdberg tunnel on the Adalsbanan line. Visit www.oden.nu and www.banverket.se/adalsbanan 31/08.

The Ministry of development awarded FCC a EUR97 million contract for the construction of the southbound carriageway on the southern motorway A-4, section Venta de Cárdenas-Santa Elena. This 9 km section includes the 166 m La Cantera tunnel and the 1,823 m Despeñaperros tunnel, which is a three-lane tunnel. Click es/113 for more details. Visit www.fcc.es 31/08.