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 City of Oslo has contracted Dovre International as purchaser for several water projects in Oslo, including the Oset/Voldsløkka tunnel, which would be 30 km and about 5 m wide. The purchaser will be responsible for the development of tenders, bid evaluation, negotiations, recommendations and signing of contracts. Visit www.dovre.biz 04/08.

Veidekke is the low bidder for the third orbital road between Ulven and Sinsen in Oslo, including the Loren and Økern tunnels, with an offer of NOK40.8 million. The two other bids have been presented by Skanska (NOK43.5 million) and PA Entreprenør (NOK53.7 million). Click no/46 for more details. 04/08.

The City of Bergen has commissioned Veidekke to build the 2.4 km section of the light rail line from Wergeland to Fantoft. The contract price is NOK292.7 million. The contract includes the construction of two tunnels, 640 m and 400 m long, and three stations. Work will start at the end of January 2008 and will be completed by 17th January, 2010. Visit www.veidekke.no and www.bybane.no/english.html 04/08.

In December 2003, a joint venture of Impregilo and Secol (in which Impregilo held a 75% share) was awarded a construction contract by ANAS, the road administration, involving a tunnel in the municipalities of Monza and Cinisello Balsamo to sink underground the SS 36 road to Lake Como and the Spluga valley that links with the north Milan motorway system. Further to the decision by Secol to pull out and the subsequent action in justice by the defeated bidders, the regional administrative court (TAR) ruled that the project should be put out to tender again.

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

Final bids for a AUD2.3 billion public-private partnership (PPP) toll road project to Brisbane airport in Queensland state were submitted on 14th December. The predominantly underground Airport Link is a 46-year concession contract to design, build, operate and maintain a 6.7 km motorway, 5.7 km of which in tunnel, to connect the North South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT) and Inner City Bypass at Bowen Hills with arterial roads at Kedron and Toombul.

On 18th January, ADIF - Spain's administrator of railway infrastructure - has awarded the construction of the Sants-La Sagrera high speed rail section to a joint venture of Sacyr and its affiliates Cavosa and Scrinser, who have been given a EUR179.3 million contract to complete in 35 months a project that will provide the final stage of the rail link between Madrid and the heart of Barcelona, and eventually into France. The project will be co-financed, up to 72.25%, by cohesion funds of the European Union. Diaphragm wall work will be implemented to build the first 422 metres and last 395 metres of the 5.64 km section, while the remaining 4,832 metres will be driven by an 11.4 m excavated diameter earth pressure balance TBM.

Cavico Corp. has been awarded an USD11.3 million contract to construct the headrace tunnel at the Dambri hydropower plant. The tunnel, which will connect the water intake and the pressure shaft, will be approximately 5 km long with a diameter of 3.66 to 4.30 m. Cavico plans to begin work on the tunnel by the end of this month. The Dambri hydropower plant is located 140 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City in Da Huoai village, near Da Teh city in Lam Dong province. Owned by South Hydropower Joint Stock Company, the USD80 million plant will have a 75 MW capacity. Visit www.cavicocorp.com 03/08.

Impregilo's Swiss subsidiary CSC Impresa Costruzioni has won as part of a consortium a contract worth CHF358 million to build a road tunnel, part of the new orbital highway A9 around the city of Visp. CSC has 36% of the consortium. Its partners are Frutiger, Jaeger Bau and Interalp Bau. The project is for construction of the Eyholz tunnel, consisting of two bores for a length of approximately 3.7 km each. Works will be completed in the second half of 2013. Read E-News Weekly 33/2007. Visit www.csc-sa.ch, www.frutiger.com, www.jaegerbau.com and www.a9-vs.ch 03/08.

Following an out-of-court agreement between the project owner AlpTransit Gotthard and Schweizer Bahntechnik Konsortium and once the contract is signed, which is scheduled for spring 2008, Transtec Gotthard will draw up the implementation plans to begin installing railway technology in the Gotthard base tunnel in 2009. On 4th May, 2007, Transtec Gotthard was awarded the contract for railway technology but the decision was attacked in justice by the defeated consortium Schweizer Bahntechnik. Read E-News Weekly 24/2007.

The Ministry of development has awarded the construction of the east bypass railway for freight trains in Valladolid to FCC and its affiliate Convensa. The contract is worth EUR108.2 million. The project forms part of the Madrid-Segovia-Valladolid high speed line, which opened on 22nd December, 2007. Construction will take 27 months until early 2011. Basically, the bypass is 17.5 km long and its path runs in majority parallel to Valladolid's outer ring road. It travels at grade for most of the length, except two kilometres in Pinar del Jalon, San Cristobal industrial park and Cerro de San Cristobal, running mainly in a cut-and-cover tunnel. Visit www.fcc.es 03/08.

Lovat and contractor Mosmetrostroy have signed a contract for the supply of a refurbished ME238SE series 21801 earth pressure balance TBM. Having recently completed its maiden project, the Docklands Light Rail extension in London, the 6 m-diameter TBM will now be used in the construction of the Nizhny Novgorod metro. The TBM will bore twin 1.4 km-long tunnels along a maximum slope of 4.5%. The entire alignment is located under the groundwater table, with absolute groundwater heights above tunnel invert level varying from 9 m to 35 m. Geological conditions consist of sedimentary deposits including clay, loam and sand. Also present are sedimentary rocks including marl, sandstone, siltstone and several dolomite layers with sand seams. Depth of cover above the tunnel crown varies from 10 m to 42 m. The TBM will undergo a comprehensive refurbishment at the jobsite in Russia under Lovat supervision, where it will also be fitted with a new Lovat mixed face cutting head. Mining is expected to commence in early 2008. Visit www.lovat.com and www.metrostroy.com 03/08.

Lovat and contractor McConnell Dowell have recently signed a contract for the supply of a new RME131SE series 24400 earth pressure balance TBM that will be used in the construction of the Rosedale wastewater treatment plant outfall located in Auckland. This is the second Lovat TBM ordered by McConnell Dowell in 2007. Click here. The 3.3 m-diameter mixed face TBM will bore a total of 2,950 metres, with the final 550 metres being driven offshore.

ACS, through its affiliate Dragados in partnership with Iza Obras y Promociones, will be responsible for the construction of the 3.53 km Galdakao-Basauri section in Biscay province. Their contract is worth EUR49.4 million and includes the construction of the 2.72 km Zaratamo tunnel. Visit www.dragados.com 02/08

Dragados scooped a EUR33 million contract for project design and construction of section II of the supply system from Cenajo dam to the basin of Taibilla canals, including a 5,950 m-long water tunnel and connecting pipe to the Cenajo water treatment plant. Visit www.dragados.com 02/08.